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SI, 1^

THE

POEMS OF TUKARAMA,^.w^^/

TRANSLATED AND RE- ARRANGED,
WITH NOTES AND AN INTRODUC-
TION. BY J. NELSON ERASER, M.A.,
INDIAN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
AND K. B. MARATHI, B.A.. LL.B.,
LATE OF THE BOMBAY JUDICIAL
SERVICE

Volume III

THE CHRISTIAN LITERATURE SOCIETY

FOR INDIA

LONDON MADRAS CALCUTTA RANGOON COLOMBO

1915

.T8

7 "Ke\x>

PREFACE

The appearance of this third volume, like
that of the second, is due to the liberality of
the Bombay Government, who have contribu-
ted half the cost of its production. And once
mofe we offer our thanks to the Christian Lite-
rature SociW:y. y.

The principles on which the translation has
been made remain the same. In this volume,
however, many abhangas on familiar themes
have been omitted, and many easy lines from
other abhangas.

The index is continued. We regret to find that
though there are many editions of Tuka, there
is not one which follows the numbering of the
Indo-Prakash edition, which is, however, much
the best. It is now out of print. Our index is
therefore not of much use — but this is only
a specimen of the inconveniences which beset
any attempt to deal with orientalia.

In the preface to our second volume we
appealed to the public to bring to our notice

VI • PREFACE

any written or published accounts of Tuka or
critical examinations of his work. We know
that many such exist, but in the disorganized
state of the literary world of India, it is difficult
to find them. We venture, therefore, to repeat
our appeal, as we still hope, in a concluding
volume, to deal with the life of Tuka and the
history of Pandharpur.

J. NELSON FRASER.
July 5, 1915.

Contents

ABHANGA

PAGE

Autobiography —

(i) Thoughts about the

world

2649

(ii) Humility, sin and

misery

2653

(iii) Prayers

2673

(iv) How he awoke

2679

(v) His own disqualifica-

tions

2694

(vi) His motives, and the

nature of his mis-

sion

2700

(vii) His sense of author-

ity and assurance.

2733

(viii) Consolation and hap»

piness in God

2740

(ix) Admonitions to him-

self

2756

(x) Some incidents in his

life

2770

(xi) His mode of life ...

2786

Vlil contei4t§

ABHANGA PAG^

(xii) His relation with the

saints

2794

(xiii) Tuka*s brother

2798

II. Descriptions and In-

vocations

2808

III. Pandhari and Vittho-

•

BA • • .

2814

IV. The Nature of God —

(i) In Himself

2838 •

(ii) His relation to the

world

2842

(iii) Union with God ne-

cessary

2851

(iv) Distinction from God

necessary

2871

(v) The all -pervading na-

ture of God

2878

(vi) The universality of

God's grace

2887

(vii) The power of God's

name ....

2892

(viii) God's generosity and

condescension

2905

(ix) God's protecting love

2922

(x) God's dependence on

his worshippers ...

2937

CONTENTS is

ABHANGA PAGB

(xi),Grod acts in us and

through us ^^ 2944 $9

• • ■

V. The Problem of Ac-
tion —

(i).The perplexing as-
pect of the world... 2950 91
(ii).Xhe impossibility of

. , escaping our past. 2959 93
(iii) Nothing is gained by
the works of the law
or by austerities... 2967 96
(iv) Our faith a reward

of merit .,. 2970 97

. (v) Rebirth, its cause and

how to escape it ... 2979 100

VI. The Sense of Sin ... 3002 107

VII. Reproaches and Chal-
lenges to Gop ... 3036 116

VIII. Prayers ... 3116 138

IX. The Conditions of Ac-
ceptation ... 3186 154

X. The Necessity of Ex-
perience ,.. 3229 167

XI. Triumphant Happiness. 3244 172

CONTENTS

■ -

ABHANGA

PAGE

XII.

Raillery of God

3268

178

km.

FAirff AND Trust

3280

182

XIV.

The Moral Ideal—

(i) Purity from desire

and passion

3327

195

• ■

(ii) Sincerity

3330

196

(iii) Truthfulness

3340

199

(iv) Humility

3341

200

(v) Peacefulness

3345

201

(vi) Perseverance

3347

201

\ , .

(vii) The service of others.

3351

203

(viii) General

3352

203

(ix) Freedom from the

sense-of-self

3375

211

(x) Be impartial to all

men

3377

212

(xi) Compassion

3382

214

XV.

Life under the Influ-

ence OF Religion ...

3383

215

XVI.

Our Attitude to-
wards THE World —

■

(i) The problem

3423

227

(ii) That we should make

•^

the most of it

3433

230

(iii) That we should re-

• ■

nounce it

3439

232

CONTENTS

ABHAKGA PAGE

XVI L The Saints—

(i) Their character
(ii) Their services to

men
(iii) The insignificance of
caste in compa-
rison of virtue ...

XIX.

3474 243
3484 246

... 3495 249

XVIII. Appeals and Exhorta-
tions ... 3498 251

Rebukes and Admoni-

tions —

(i) The evil age

3546

267

(ii) The obstinacy and

folly of the wicked.

3553

272

(iii) Ill-temper and want

of charity

3588

283

(iv) Pride

3589

284

(v) Deceit

3590

284

(vi) Greediness

3592

285

(vii) Sensuality and love

of the world

3595

286

[viii) Hypocritical profes-

sions

3600

288

(ix) Indifference to reli-
gion and churlish

xii CONTENTS

: ABHANGA PAGE

conduct to the
saints .... 3605 290

(x) Confidence in learn-
ing or merit ... 3619 295
(xi) Various ... 3628 298

XX. The Purpose of In-
carnations AND THE
USE OF Images in
Worship ... 3662 310

XXI. False Religious Ob-
servances ... 3674 315

XXI I. Our Attitude towards

Traditional Forms

OF Worship ... 3678 317

XXIII. Against False Teach-

ers and Impostors ... 3688 321

Jimobiograpby

L~ tbONgbts about tbe Oforia

2649

'TpHOUGH I have abandoned the world, yet
desires arise in my heart; what am I to
do? Let me cast at thy feet this bundle of my
body. As to whether we do or do not, rules
and prohibitions may guide us; but if we cannot
discern their inner spirit, we shall waste our labour.
Tuka says, Give me not life on the surface, but
hide thyself within me.

2650

'T^H ROUGH sin, truth has been utterly destroy-
ed. The clouds shrink from falling down,
the crops have forsaken the soil. Tuka says. The
Vedas have lost all strength and courage.

2651

Co unfordable is the stream of life that we know
^^ not how to cross it. The savage beasts of lust
and wrath fill us with dread. The eddies of illu-
sion and desire whirl formidably round us. The

2 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

billows of desire surge up ; worldly transactions
toss men to and fro. As the only means of
passage, Tuka seats himself in the boat of the
name.

2652

A^T^HEN it is well with you, all accompany you ;
when it is ill, no one stays till the end.
Neither father, mother, nor mistress stays —
why need I mention others ? Tuka says, Mankind
are doublefaced, they prey upon you when they
see their chance*

11.— I)iiniility, Sin ana misery

2653

T CALL myself thy slave, yet I do thee no service.
I fill my belly like an insolent knave. Yet
how can falsehood prevail at thy feet ! Thou
knowest the heart, O God ! We ourselves know
that we have behaved falsely ; to say anything else
would be untrue. Tuka says, So guilty am I ;
thus let me be known to thee.

2654

T AM pained by what has happened to-day ; the
world has greatly troubled me. I know not
when thou wilt break this tie ; I sit remembering
thy feet. The thoughts of others bar our path,
their pain and pleasure, good and evil. Tuka says,
It is best to live by oneself, then we put an end to
^11 ties.

HUMILITY, SIN AND MISERY 3

2655

T^^Y conduct in lives past was not pure, hence I
^ lost thy feet. But when I look to this
present life, it seems that my store of merit has
borne fruit. Now, O Lord of Pandhari, show" me
mercy. I am wicked and full of evil deeds; I
am grievously tormented by the world. I am so
troubled by wrath and desire that I cannot reach
thee, O God ! Neither this place nor that is open
to me. I run after thy name, O come speedily
to me, says Tuka.

2656

TN early days, I had never heard of this step ;
otherwise, should I have made any mistake
about it ? Why should I plunge myself in false-
hood ? Why should I put a needless burden on
my head ? Tuka says. Why should 1 enter tHe
womb again now ? Why should I make myself a
slave of my family ?

2657

T AM so vile that I feel neither love nor affection ;
nay, if I am honoured, I am all the more pro-
voked by this. Gurse my ungrateful body ! It
feels no obligation for kindness done to it. It
takes no pleasure even in costly dishes of sweet
food. I can see in me no good qualities of my
own; who can say what the store of my past is
like ? Tuka says, I know not what Panduranga
has seen in me that he keeps me at his feet.

4 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

2658

^ I ^HOU shalt be sung by the lips of unnumbered
men, for thou hast unnumbered servants.
Then what account §hall be made of me ? I am
fit for nothing but contempt. Thou art always
prosperous. O Narayana endued with skill ! Tuka
says, Such are the spirits of the Kali age ; none
will pity these sinful wretches.

2659

T HAVE no use for thee now, O Shame ! get
hence, let me remember Rama. Through
yielding to thee I ruined myself ; I made myself
the slave of this evil world. You made my
mother's house strange to me ; you decked yourself
out and actually led me astray. To gain pleasure
I carried a wife on my shoulder; she brought a host
of children upon me. I was taken before the
four judges and the five ; I was not suffered ta
entertain pure aspirations. Tuka says, Now I
will drag thee across thorns ; I have made God my
champion.

2660

TN the hour of my birth why was there a good
omen seen ? Now you withdraw and hide your-
self. 1 never asked for this gift of speech, a thing
dry, fruitless and external. What is mere prolixity
apart from truth ? Speech should be such as to
attain its purpose ; all else is chaff. Tuka says,
Who is it you are tormenting in this way ? You da
not consider this, O Panduranga !

HUMILITY, SIN AND MISERY 5

2661

AXjTHEREVER I go, I am a vendor of stale
goods; I can see no prospect of gain.
Were the lines drawn upon my forehead pro-
pitious, should I suffer this toil and care ? Thou
wilt not receive me as thy own ; and the worldly
comforts I once had I have lost. My allotted
portion has now once been given me to endure.
Time is stealing from me my capital, Bfe. When
<iid I hear of thy fame ? How is it I lose my life ?
says Tuka.

2662

^ I ^HAT thou shouldest accept me, O God, no
^ "^such thought enters my mind. There is a
stain now on both of us, bringing shame on the
relation of worshippers and worshipped. Even in
•solitude my mind is restless ; it will not stay still a
moment. My legs are fettered by dignity thrust
on me ; my friends have put a rope on my neck;
Now that my body has caught sight of these
pleasures it has grown addicted to them ; my
mouth does not relish stale food. Tuka says, I
have become a pit full of vices ; indolence and
laziness have grown upon me.

2663

T^^ Y idle talk is looked on as poetry, but it is not
moist with moisture from my innermost
being. Narayana returns no answer to me ; I
have no influence over him. Why did this shame-
less voice utter words ? I am not at heart a

6 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

reflective man. Tuka says, My exertions have-
borne no fruit ; what happened to me, O dweller
in Pandhari ?

2664

T HAVE power to control time ; such is the
boast I make ; then lo ! I am found lower than
the lowest wretches, far away from God and
blackened !n the face. Once I trusted in God ;
I was his slave. Tuka says, I went about to
raise my own dignity and importance.

2665

T PLOD along like an ass, with a burden on my
•^ back. I go where the saints wish to takfe me ;
my body is in their power. I am like a water-bag
strengthened with battens of wood ; within me is
the strength of the food left by the saints. I never
quit the highway, I never shirk my load. By the
authority they possess they keep me moving; I
have no cares of my own. Tuka prays earnestly ^
Give me no household affairs to transact.

2666

T^^Y mind is penetrated by the thought of re-
nouncing the world ; I would fain retire to
the forest. Why dost thou not bestow peace on
this mind of mine? It is grieved by separation
from thee. No one comes to bring me a message
from Pandhari ; he sends me not even a wreath
from his neck. Tuka says, I abhor my life ;
though I serve thee, I feel ashamed while I do so.-

HUMILITY, SIN AND MISERY 7

2667

T UNDERSTAND now what my faith is like ;
I have harassed my soul in vain. I have
strong together words and babbled on ; and as the
end of it all, I have gained nothing. Tuka says, I
have lost both worlds ; I have gained neither this
world nor thy feet.

2668

T HAVE passed through many misfortvmes in the
world; though I have thrown them off, still
there is a settled weariness in my mind. Now let
me hide myself at thy feet, O God ; look not for
service or devotion from me. If I hear a cry
that even one trouble is coming, I am full of dread ;
but crowds of troubles have returned on me. Tuka
says. My measure is heaped up ; separation from
thee causes me great agony.

2669

Y^OU never visited me even in a dream, I am
left dejected ; how is it possible I could ever
have seen him talking to me ?

2670

Cloth has laid hold of me— Run, Run,. O
^^ Panduranga ! Bodily sensations pass over me ;
vice showers its blows upon me. Let Narayana
approach and banish my evil habits. Though I
was near, I have drifted far away ; O God ! take
me by the hand. This is why I entreat thee time
after time. Tuka says, O Panduranga, do not
keep me far from thee !

8 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

2671

^ I ^HOUGH I possess myself of all wisdom,
yet, O Narayana, I do not reach thee.
Though men honour me, I do not reach thy feet.
Though I make myself indifferent to the world,
still thy secret is far from me. Though 1 put
forth strenuous efforts, 1 must call myself thy
slave and worshipper. Tuka says, Unless thou
show thy secret thyself, who can learn it ?

2672

"\X7E have no firm devotion to thee ; how then
can we blame thee ? We ask wages for
service never rendered. We have not worshipped
thee, our faith is not pure ; but the blame lies on
our destiny. Unnumbered worshippers there have
been who renounced the world and subdued their
lusts. No such vigour have I shown, yet I wish
to meet thee. Of thy compassion fulfil this desire ;
vindicate thy name ! Tuka says, Though a child be
an idiot, yet his father and mother do carefully
maintain him.

Ill— Prayers

2673

TF I merely send thee a message how can it
reach thy feet ? Hence I have surrendered
my very life to thee. Tuka says, Give me salvation
into my own hands ; this is what I importune thee
for.

PRAYERS 9

2674

T DESIRED in my heart to be one of the fore-
most ; yet I hung back through shame. I
-call joyfully upon thee, yet even so thou hidest
thyself. Give me my own — what I compassed
by devoted faith. O Stay of the world, says
Tuka, gratify thy self-willed child !

2675

T^OR once set me free from woe, by opening the
net of sin. Long, long, hast thou kept me
suffering ; now, O Panduranga, set me free ! Tuka
says, I will make an offering of my body ; 1 will
wave my head round thee like a lamp and throw
it away.

2676

Cave me from self-conceit by making me
wretched, so that my life in the world may
be wasted.

2677

CUPPORTED by the testimony of my own
*^ mind I relate what has happened to me, in
the story of all my life. It is for you, in virtue of
your power, to take kindly care of us ; if you hold
us aloof, how can we live ? Why else was it that
I left the word of * I * and * mine,' O generous
one! Tuka says. Without your help. we are left to
-destiny in the world.

2678

A N unprotected stranger, wretched, lowly
'^^ and artless, I roll helpless in thy temple-
court. Cast thy glance upon me, as the tortoise

10 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

looks on its young; make me to apprehend what
knowledge of God means. Tuka says, I fall
at thy feet, — body, speech, and spirit; I have
none besides thee.

TU — l)OfP m Hipoke

2679

ItXTHAT we need in this world is a father who
can secure liberation for his progeny, but
thou, O Dnyanadeva, didst put away the sins
of thy father and mother. My own father was
likewise learned, hence I began to meditate on
God. Tuka says, I am my father's legitimate
child; fulfil my craving for knowledge of Brahma.

2680

T WAS tormented bj- * mine ' and ' thine ' ;
I did not see what was close to me. The
abode that I was seeking I possess ; my desire is
satisfied. My only fear, says Tuka, is lest Vitthoba
should be angry with me.

2681

"M'OTHING of the world clung to me; I be-
^ came solitary ; I knew no other attachment.
See how the cowherd tortured me and drove me
mad ! He attached me to himself and hid me in
him. Tuka says, I did not comprehend this till
I was ruined by devotion to him.

HOW HE AWOKE 11

2682

T WAS well off till I met him ; then this thief
stripped me. He swept away everything, and
left me an empty ruined house. My mind, the
source of contemplation, my only wealth, he has
carried off; Tuka says, He has made me what I
was to begin with.

2683

/^NCE I debated with myself how to keep my-
^^^ self alive in this world. Then came the
Dweller in the heart to my aid, and revealed to me
that there is no such thing as destruction. I was
plunged in a sea of gloom, wondering how to
reach the shore. Tuka says, My life was full of
misery, my soul was troubled.

2684

T^T^HO would touch things once offered to God ?
That would wrest them from their purpose.
Once for all this body has been offered to him, so
anything that happens to it will be welcome. A
load I carried once, but the bitterness of it has
been put far from me ; my body is now but an
empty storehouse. Tuka says. Desire made me
suffer misery, so I have banished the accursed
thing.

2685

T WAS caught by the press-gang as 1 stepped

forward to meet the world, but on the way I

met Vitthoba and he took compassion on me. I

had a heavy load on my head, says Tuka ; I was

12 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

anxiously saying to myself, What generous man
will meet me ?

2686

TXTE are alone in a strange land, we have
missed the road and lost all our bearings ;
now should any one take us by the hand and lead us
home, what return can we make for his kindness ?
Even so 1 stood stark naked, O Keshiraja, I
felt ashamed I could do thee no service. I was
like a child whose mother cast him forth with a
great throe, heedless even if the spot were fit for
his birth ; when heat and thirst and hunger set him
screaming, she would put him to her breast —
what shall I say of it ? I was like a great criminal
that goes forth to die, with an iron pole on his
shoulder. Yet, says Tuka, this is what happened :
Some one snatched me away and set me in shelter
behind him.

2687

T LEFT the world on my own impulse ; I was
indeed heartily sick of it. Two things that are
different cannot be forced to combine, just as
buttermilk is for ever separate from butter. Both
are produced by churning one substance, and
different names are given to them. Chaff and grain
are distinguished from each other by their proper-
ties. Tuka says. Where could a pearl ever find
a dwelling place, if the mother-of-pearl were
crushed ?

2688

"IXT^HEN I consider, I find it was a good thing ;

so much I have learned. I made a clean

sweep of all that I once cared for, because I

HOW HE AWOKE 13

perceived the great distinction. My body seems
to be at rest, likewise my thoughts and feelings.
Tuka says, Very fortunately God chose me and
picked me up.

2689

^ I ^HIS was the original step that averted my
pangs ; I presented my body at your feet ;
I was set free from toil and redeemed. Now I
shall not suffer my own authority to guide me.
Tuka stands apart from the world, far from all its
worries.

2690

T PRACTISED neither meditation nor penance,.
I used no violence to my mind, I laid no
restraints on it. Standing where I was I cried to
thee, to rescue me in my strait. I brought and offer-
ed thee no water ; by meditation al'one I served thee ;
what I spent was spent alone. Says Tuka, My
generous master accepted it in all sincerity.

2691

"I^^Y mother grew weary of carrying me in the
womb, so she delivered me ; but she took
no care that the spot was un defiled. She suffered
agonies of heat and thirst and hunger, — why
should she put me to her breast ? The stake was
on my own shoulders, I was on the road to death,,
yet even then I committed grievous crimes. Then,
says Tuka, this was what happened to me : He
touched me with his hand and set me behind his
back.

14 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

2692

T OVE for home and mankind drove me mad ;
how can I tell this to thee ? My face was
blackened with shame; I changed my own mind; I
was not ashamed of myself, O Panduranga ! How
can I bring these complaints before thee ? What
will your life or mine be like afterwards ? For
whose sake now should I live in the world? I have
wound up my own affairs myself, Tuka says,
J have broken through the customs of my family ;
I wait in patience at thy feet.

2693

CHOULD a jewel fall into the jaws of an
*^ alligator, a man of courage can pluck it forth
with his hand ; but the mind of a fool cannot be
persuaded to the right path. The milk of a tortoise
may feed an army. If you wander over the whole
world you may perhaps find a hare with horrts.
If you rub sand very carefully you may perhaps
extract divine oil from it. A hooded cobra pro-
voked to fury you may perhaps hold in your hand
like a flower. Lo! By the joy of Brahma, Tuka
the greatest of sinners was saved.

U«- l)is own aisqutlifications

2694

AX7H Y hast thou so exalted me, O Panduranga ?

What business was it of mine to do all

this talking, to proclaim God's praises or feast

HIS OWN DISQUALIFICATIONS 15

Bramhanas ? Nabody sees that I am merely an
instrument, says Tuka.

2695

As you have accepted me, carry my burden;
"^^ let no idea come between us. I am a slow-
witted creature, how can I furnish faith enough ?
Accept in all sincerity such service as I can offer.
Tuka says, I implore your mercy, for I am a
slow-witted creature.

2696

A LL 1 can do is to upbraid the world ; this is
"^^ the portion allotted me. I gather the fruit
ordained for me ; my fate is decided. The
thoughts of other men do not harmonize with my
mind. Tuka is all forlorn ; women and children
revile him.

2697

T AM not bold in assemblies, to stand up and
speak out before men. I have led a solitary
life, I have seen no companion to speak to. Now,
O Narayana, you know all that has passed be-
tween us ; see, it will move you with compassion.
My intellect fails in consistency ; 1 have not kept
myself fully conscious though 1 tried to. In what
life shall I receive strength ? When will there be
a decision concerning me ? These now are my
last words in all truth. You must protect, says
Tuka, him who has come to you for protection.

16 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

2698

CHOULD destiny send the Ganges to an idle
^ man, ought people to refuse to bathe in it ?
Should the wishing-cow stand in a Manga*s yard,
ought Bramhanas not to bow to her ? Should a
leprous man take the magic -stone and make gold
with it, ought we to refuse it as impure ? Should
a village officer be a man of low caste, ought we to
refuse to obey him ? Tuka likewise is sealed to be
an officer of faith with Vitthoba ; if men heed him
not their faces shall be blackened.

UT — 1)1$ motives ana m naMre
of Dis mission

2700

'TpHIS speech of mine, which is a gift of thine,
^ delivers answers ; they are not pieced to-
gether from the diverse opinions of men. Tuka
says, Panduranga has raised a shelter over my
head; he has increased this juice within my
frame.

2701

TT is I who feel myself speaking, but it is God
^ who makes me speak. Dull and vulgar
souls, however, do not comprehend this. It is a
thing unheard of, a gift of God's favour. Tuka
says, This is why I go about proclaiming it.

HIS MOTIVES AND THE NATURE, ETC. 17

2702

npHIS secret, though I proclaim it, is not com-
prehended ; this gives rise to errors. Whos<>
first keeps his mind imder control, he first wilt
pass under the authority I have assumed. If a
man is not hungry, he will not welcome food, he
will find no flavour in it ; even so an obstinate mail
will find reason distasteful. Tuka says, We
must watch ourselves; we cannot at present
restrain other people.

2703

T HAVE laid open this treasure-house with a
. just measure in my hand. We have raised a
loud uproar of Hari's name; let all the past
vanish. There is a plenteous harvest in the land ;
the bad season is over. Let all take their fill,
says Tuica, great and small alike.

2704

TN the market-place I unfastened my bundle, I
set out my grain for sale. I gave all the
authorities their dues, I finished with all trouble-
some requisitions. I sat there with a true measure
in my hand, a measure respected by the four
castes. My customers, the saints, came there en-
quiring for good stuff". I have shaken the grain
out of my dhotur, I have paid off" the market dues
early in the morning, everything was peacefully
concluded. Hurry up if you mean to come, such
-of you as are people of ours. There are three
sorts of goods — best, middling and worst; there
are also many diff'erences between men, and they

18 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

bring different samples. Some made a profit,
others a loss; while others just realized their capital,
^ome were bankrupt. Some sold only half their
^oods — few were these, yet too many. They all
came together in company from the same village,
but they will not depart together. Some were
ismugglers who avoided the authorities: they caught
them and disgraced them. Some had to mortgage a
share of their property, by acknowledging debts for
posterity to pay off. Tuka says, We must delay
no more ; we must finish the stage before us.

2705

•* COMETHING for me, something for me ! '
^ — there is no use talking like this now.
* Tell us the price, tell us the price ! * — let him
ask the question who means to buy. Otherwise,
how could any bargain be struck ? There would
be nothing but idle talking between me and you.
If I am to profit, I must get my capital back
again. Tuka says, I shall store my capital at
home, so that in time of need men will apply to
me.

2706

"^TpHE treasure belongs to God; I am merely
-^ appointed to receive and disburse. My own
hands and feet are untainted; I know not how
much there was in it before I came. God has
taken my cares on himself ; it is he who accom-
plishes everything. Tuka says. The master has
the responsibility of supplying everything.

HIS MOTIVES AND THE NATURE, ETC. 19

2707

\\T^ have brought forth the essences by churn*
^^ ing, we have separated all conditions and
limitations. Tuka says, We have conferred this
treasure on the world ; it is not possible for us to*
have too much of it.

2708

YX/HEN any one steals up behind, he drives
him far away ; he turns him out of his own
house and home. He crouches at your feet, and
runs away if you say * Cho ! ' to him. If he
smells a stranger he rises up and shakes him-
self ; Tuka says, He puts fear into people, he does
not allow anybody to share the buttermilk of his
house.

2709

T AM led by the chain of love about my neck ;
I bark when I see it is time to bark. I am
your dog, O Keshiraja, I am kept for this duty.
I know who comes and goes along the high road
-or the bypaths. Tuka says, I keep at a distance
strangers who approach, that they come not near.

2710

jr\OGS feel it their duty to keep watch over
•^ their own place ; they will not let even the
wind from a stranger approach their own house.
They tear such to pieces, and rend their body.
Tuka trusts nobody but God.

20 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

2711

/^OD is fond of dogs, but he requires from
^^ them no service — save their presence. If
you teach us, we will sit down near you, just where
'we are. We shall not let another dog open his
mouth or bark. If you fondle a dog, says Tuka,
then your association with it gives it a claim on
you.

2712

TlEING weary of stale food your dog makes
bold to tug at your feet ; Kanhoba under -^
stands that sign and gives him some warm food».
We should eat whatever is set on our own dish,
and by our devotion preserve our Master's love for
us. Tuka says, I am an old dog ; the illusion
of the world has departed from me.

2713

TArE will speak now even where we ought to be
^ silent, in words for all mankind to hear at
once. The shower considers not the place where
it falls ; men shall profit according to their faith»
Tuka says. We do not care to make men contented^
for that would injure both ourselves and those who-
come after us.

2714

\X^E shall bestow advice on men so far as they
^ ~ have a right to it ; we ought to place a
burden on the back of one who can bear it. Should
we entrust an elephant's burden to an ant, what
would come of it? Tuka says, A himter takes,
with him nets, snares and axes ; he uses each at the
right time.

HIS MOTIVES AND THE NATURE, ETC. 21

2715

^IXTE are not like physicians, hungry after
^^ money, ready to give any one any sort of
herb. We will not ruin our patients by unwhole-
some diet ; what would be the use of friendliness
•or deference that led to this ? Tuka says, We will
scorch and bum and bleed them, for that will give
them relief afterwards.

2716

Come one may call this language of mine cen-
^ sure, but in truth he would be mistaken.
When a man is taking a' wrong path, to lead him
to the right one- -this both religion and morality
<enjoin. If he will not listen quietly, then let him
•be chastised ; there is no sin, but merit, in this.
Thereby would birth and death and sorrow be
•avoided ; let us diminish the high importance
we have given to these things. Tuka says, Unless
you administer neem leaves, how can you heal a
man of disease ?

2717

CHALL I close the door or shall I guard the
entrance, and how long? Whatever your com-
mands may be, with bowed head I will carry them.
Otherwise, I will speak as I see occasion, or else
I will observe silence. Am I to keep awake, says
Tuka, or to prevent any one from approaching ?

2718

^ I^HE wealth in our house consists of jewels of
words ; we have swords of words to fight;
•our way with. Words are the soul of our soul

22' AUTOBIOGRAPHY

by words jve will scatter wealth among mankind.
Tuka says, Words are our God, we shall glorify
words with worship.

2719

/^F late I have been singing thy name in songs,,
and people honour me therefore. I take
no thought for food or raiment ; I have escaped
the grievous oppression of the body. I am freed
from all vexations concerning friends or relatives-
Tuka says, Do with me now as thou wilt.

2720

TT is a sign of Gq4*s presence that when he en-
ters a man's house, his manhood is crushed by
a stone. God brings ruin with him ; he suffers-
none to remain separate from himself. God does
not leave us entangled in desire ; he does not let
the snare of affection touch us. God does not
leave our speech entangled, or let the taint of false-
hood pollute us. God rends the net of illusion, he
annihilates the world. Lo ! all these signs of his
presence are with Tuka ; God has seized this place
for his own.

2721

•

l^^Y mind is turned poet; God's praises flow
through my mouth like a cataract. There
is a road marked out before me ; my own nature
leads me to follow it. I sing God's excellent
deeds, a theme ever new and ready to hand; I
shape it as I please. I stand forward in the sight
of all ; I lead an army of bards that follow me. I
speak out when he commands me, rendering:

HIS MOTIVES AND THE NATURE, ETC. 2S

willing service. There rains down on me a flood
of satisfying gifts from his hand that stills all fear.
Tuka's lord adorns him with words that he himself
inspires.

2722

T SHUT the doors, or sometimes I guard the
approach. Whatever orders are given me, I
place them on my head ; I carry out all commands.
I give men the best advice I can, or sometimes I
keep quiet to myself. Tuka says, I sometimes
keep awake, sometimes I will not let others stir.

2723

\^C)U impressed upon me that it is easy to preach
you ; if I preserve the character of my dis«
course what else is necessary ? Do not fail to
support the system you have established ; will you
turn your generous self into a feeble wretch ? If
a man's resolution is really fixed, how can he
depart from it ? If a man does so he is called no
more valiant, but feeble. Tuka says. What fault
can you find with me now ? I will purge away
that fault with one word.

2724

^T^HE story of Hari is told, a mood is inspired.
Panduranga has come to bring about the
right. He gives to each what is right, he distri-
butes his love ; take it from him now to your
heart's content. With this gift of his love he has
comforted all ; those who once sickened at it now
delight in it. This poor wretch Tuka was seen by

24 . AUTOBIOGRAPHY

ihe saints ; they have put him forward at their
head.

2725

'TpO sanctify mankind is no painful toil to us;
it is our delight. Tuka says, We eat great
lumps of joy ; you need not envy us, you too
inay eat.

2726

TX7HEN we praise a chaste wife, the unchaste
feels a pang in her head. What I have
said is spontaneous ; I have never consulted any
one about my words. When there is a fault in a
man himself, it brings him a crack on his own pate ;
he sees sparks before his eyes. Tuka says. What
can I do with such a one? I am sure to touch
him on the ulcerous spot.

2727

^T^HE man who has carnal intercourse with a
slave, his ancestors are at the gate of hell —
when I preach to the world in this style, nobody
likes to hear it. Consider well — who is your
friend in the end ? Tuka says. You wretch, your
end will be hell.

2728

T HAVE opened a shop to deal in the name of
'^ Rama ; I have samples of various kinds, help
yourselves. O ! be not slothful to buy this ; I
distribute it gratis. Each receives a share accord*
ing to his store of merit; if you ask for too much,
you will not get it. Tuka says, I have stored up

HIS MOTIVES AND THE NATURE, ETC. 25

the whole of this commodity, when enquiry was
made concerning room for the rest of it.

2729

T AM eager to teach you, for time will soon
advance and break your heads. What,
' answer will you give him then ? Now, though you
have found God, you stay aloof from him. Your
outward pretences in this world are like a juggler's
disguises ; but every gewgaw will fall off you.
Tuka says, Why have you taken such care of
refuse ?

2730

TF you undertake a thing, what is impossible ?
In a moment you can turn a mountain into a
mustard-seed. I cannot endure the blows of men ;
it is obvious ; you can see it ; they destroy my
life. Lightly in jest, I first began to speak; do
not jremember this ! Make me ignorant and hum-
ble, more so than I am, O Infinite One ! Make me
able to enjoy thee, says Tuka; I care nought
for men.

2731

l^^Y poems are not minted coins, yet good
people accept them. They are indeed a
spring welling up with butter ; it will do you good
to eat it. Tuka says, God drove me violently
forward ; a great inspiration came upon me.

2732

npHE secret aim of all jackals is eggs ; when

"*• they have got hold of them they load up

their mouths, O you donkeys ! Bray not I here

26 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

comes Tuka, the servant of, Vishnu. These d6n»
keys do not know whom they ought to rise before
and respect. Tuka is a lion to evil doers, but dust
on the feet of the saints.

U11 — l)is Sense of JliitborKy rnitf nisiirmce

2733

TN solitary and crowded places we shall raise
this cry ; there is no particle of pollution here:-
We have authority both to give and to take, we
see no other to call us to account. I have the
key of the treasury ; you may see here whatever
article you need. Tuka says, God has set us here
in freedom, by reason of our faith.

TX^HATEVER duties Phave 'propdundied spring
from my own exper'reiice ; what has Pandu-
ranga left wanting ? Tuka says, The name of
Rama Krishna is sweet, the object of our fond
desires ; let us weave a garland of it.

2735

T ET people praise or blame me as they will».
and say I have lost my reason. My own
rule is to think of what I aim at ; why should I
defer to men ? Tuka says. Why should I join in
the fabrications of the world ? Any pleasure
given by worldly life is fleeting.

HIS SENSE OF AUTHORITY, ETC. 27^

2736

T SPEAK inspired words, uttering a message
from God ; let no one give Shame a place.
This vile creature has destroyed the good paths
to salvation, and led all mankind on the road that
leads to Yama. She has established herself in the
common intercourse of men; her treacherous
nature no one knows. Tuka says, Bring her to-
the temple, I will put her to shame and dismiss
her.

27S7

T LAID aside fear; this is how I reached this
spot, where I can entreat thee close at hand>.
With the power of authority, I shall ask thee to-
feed me; up till now, I have made this my own
care. I have preyed upon my vitals to get me
this butter ; who would entreat piteously for a
trifle ? Tuka says. This coarse millet mixed with
milk I do not want; you are teasing me with
unrealities, O Panduranga !

2738

"IATE shall speak with a view to being useful, as
opportunity arises, according to the case.
We shall lay the foundations deep and build a wall
that will not sink, wherein God is first, midmost,
and last. What we have to do, we shall do at
once ; if we rely on the future, the growth of the
present will be stunted. Tuka says. We shall obey^
his orders; we shall carry them out at a single
stroke.

28 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

2739

npHESE are no borrowed words, no worthless
^ chaff meant to amuse men. I have a close
train of experiences ; they are never far from me.
What is needed is something with a flavour ; what
use are insipid words ? Tuka says, Who would
take any interest in a man who lurks behind
ashamed ?

Uin — €oiiiol«tioti ana mvpinen in M

2740

"IXT'HAT I conceived in my mind appears now
before my eyes ; I have compassed all that
I aimed" at, my longing has borne fruit.

2741

TC^OR many days I forget this path; now I have
followed it, and all my grief has been chased
away. Long I was devoted to the world and its
shows ; now I have freed myself from the ways of
men. Tuka says. Here I have found courage ; my
rspirit is at peace in the joy of the Highest.

2742

T^^Y sitting, sleeping, and eating are in Govinda ;
the three words are filled with joy. The
course of time has parted me from all things ; I
have not leisure enough for my needs. I have
Apportioned every member of my body to its ele-
ments, so that nothing of this kind can interfere

CONSOLATION AND HAPPINESS IN GOD 29'

with me. This divine form has proved an accept-
able dish ; other fancies have vanished. Wrath
and lust destroy the mind and reason ; it is-
peace that swallows up the eddying whirl of error^
My mind says, Tuka, is dyed for ever in the dye of
Shriranga.

2743

T AM not strong enough to bear the weight of
knowledge ; my fixed resolution is just to offer
service to my Lord. I am determined to repose-
on obedience to him ; this assuredly will set me-
free from all burdens. We persist in our childish
importunities ; our father and mother will have
to do as we ask. Tuka says, This is the fashion of
my service ; all my burden has been placed on
God.

2744

TN the deep sea of bliss the waves are of bliss ;
in the body of bliss every member is of bliss..
How can I describe what has happened? It is
something extraordinary ; the course of delight
can go no further. The desires of the unborn
child show themselves in the longings of the
mother, his wishes are reflected there. Tuka
says, There is an impression printed on me, and the
words that come to my lips are cast in the same
mould.

2745

T FIND the whole world dreary; no one knows^

me for a friend. I am dismayed as I look on

the hosts of wild beasts ; no courage is left me. I

30 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

-cannot go forward a step in the darkness ; I feel
«ure the thorns will pierce me. All alone, without
a companion, I am come to a spot where the road
breaks up; I am sorely afraid; I dare not walk
on. Tuka says. My good guide shows me the way,
and yet he continues to stand apart from me.

2746

T WILL not study or repeat any other words;
- our one sufficing spell is Panduranga. I will
neither wander about, nor shut myself up, but I
will repair to the throng of Vishnu's worshippers.
I know nothing else, I practise no austerities ; I
-dance with sleepless eyes amid the train of pil-
grims. I observe neither fast nor vow nor fulfil-
ment of vows. I know not, says Tuka, how to
^erve or praise any other than Rama Krishna.

2747

"lllT'HEN people have once squared their ac-
^ * counts, they all feel quite relieved ; no one
<:an lord it over any one then. Every one gets what
is due to him, and every one is satisfied ; joy and
sorrow are both done with. When a transaction
is over, each party retires naturally into himself ;
if any point of difference arises, then there is an
occasion for speech. Tuka has settled up his ac-
counts, he stands clear of all complications; so now
he has nothing to talk about but the sweet theme
-of peace.

2748

T HAVE grown like a lump of dough, all plump

and straight upstanding. There are no hollows

in me anywhere ; I put on a fresh colour every day.

CONSOLATION AND HAPPINESS IN GOD 31

I have found a patron ; I have escaped from my
Joad of earth. All quarters of the earth are open
to me ; I have no round of toil to go through. I roll
at the doors of the temple ; the gadflies all fly away
from me. I will not brook a load ; Tuka has
igrown a rich and mighty man. Look at him at
the temple-door, he wears a cloak of rags.

2749

T PASS along a road where one escapes from
* Do this * and * Don't do that ' ; I keep com-
pany with the saints. The saints have reared the
first of their flags ; at the sight of that sign I
shout aloud Hari*s name. Tuka says, Come along
this road ; be assured that Panduranga will meet
you.

2750

T WILL tell you now with what emulation, with
what determination I drink this juice. Even
as an ant devours sugar, whatever difficulties you
put in her way, even so is it with my soul ; I
-cannot ieave the feet of Keshava. The desire for
sensuous objects is a field I will not cultivate.
When a hungry dog meets food, he barks his life
out ; but he does not relinquish the morsel in his
mouth. What do we mean by a mind subdued ?
An impassioned man looks on his life as straw; a
paramour runs after her lover; such is Tuka's
devotion to God.

2751

T CAN see no wicked man anywhere ; no one in
. the universe but my father and mother. Since
:this is so, why should I fret or fear or vex myself

32 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

with care ? I am entrusted to the care of him who
feeds the world ; the saints lead me by their own
paths.

2752

A S when a famine-stricken man searching for
'^^" food comes across a dainty meal, even so is
it with my mind when it sees thy feet. When a
cat sees a pat of clotted cream it sits still with
its eyes fixed upon it ; even so, says T-uka, my
mind thinks of pouncing on thy feet.

2763

npHE impulses of my mind were stilled, the
^ energy of action was crippled within me, a
sign from within was bestowed on me. My eyes
were flushed and half -closed, my throat choked,
my hair stood on end. My mind was dazzled by
the primal form before me, my joy was such that
it could not stir forth. A dawn of purple splendour
broke upon me, I drank a draught of life-giving
nectar. My soul was waved round the sun and
moon, wave after wave of joy came rolling in.
Tuka says, I rocked to and fro with joy and love,.
T lost all conscious sense.

2754

"PARTHLY rays are various, red, white, black
and yellow, but the unguent of intelligence has
entered my eyes. By the virtue of this unguent I
have acquired the sight of God; the notions of
unity and duality have left me. Differences of
space and time, differences of objects have dis-
appeared, the soul is assured that its true form is

ADMONITIONS ^O HIMSELF 33

tiiriverse. There is no such thing as the world i
all is '^e highest BramhS, I recognize that I ani
H-e. The knowledge that thou art He, the joy^
of complete union with Bramha, that has noW'
entered into Tuka. ^

2755

TN the Stainless One I have established mjr
^ home; in the Formless One I abide. In the
uncxmscious I dwell serene; I have obtained to
unbroken unity. Tuka says, No sense of self is
left in me ; I have taken the form of the divine»'
I am for ever pure.

IX.— JIAiMiitieM to MMielf

2756

XXOW can a man be ruined if he remembers
'*' "^ thee, and is moreover a servant of Vishnu ?
True, we are sometimes driven to despair in the
world, yet I have earnestly followed after thee.
What I have 'seized, I will now carefully discrimi-
nate.; I will not sufier my mind to lose hdd of ijU'
Tuka says, I cannot be lost for ever ; this the'
Furanas proclaim.

2757

T HAVE often resolved not to speak to the'

. world; fcut then some sin stands upright

across my way, and my mood changes. I have'

34 AUTOBIOGKAPHY

9et my neck free from the world ; how is it thetn,
misfortunes overtake me ? They interrupt thy
service, says Tuka ; how can I help this, O Pandu-
ranga?

2758

ly^HAT I want, is to incur the ridicule of the
^^ world ; then I shall never leave thy feet, fot
my mind in its distress will seek its own proper*
place. I do not enough abhor idle talk ; I know
not why such vile promptings arise in me. Tuka
says, Only, if I am dealt a stout blow on the head,
;shall I cease from these vanities.

2759

T HAVE grown sick of my own lot in the world ;
"*■ what do I care about social rules^ of conduct ?
I have neither kin nor friends beside God. These
•ears of mine listen to no talk of worldly affairs ; my
mind is grown weary of them. Tuka says, Show
me what favour Thou wilt, but do not hold me, to-
no purpose, in the bonds of pleasure and pain.

2760

CPEAK to me no more of the world ; I will listen
^ to no speech but speech of God. When a man
has achieved prosperity, who will scrutinize his
merits or demerits? But all the possessions I
acquired, from long ago till to-day, thieves have
stolen from me. Only when the leaves are
pruned off can we expect a crop. Tuka will have:
jio huge error left to entangle him.

ADMONITIONS TO HIMSELF 35

a?6t

SB
O long as 1 have been under your power, so
long I have been in disgrace ; now I will not
let you stay in this country, so powerful a master
i have found. When did this shake approach me
in my childhood ?,.i:knew not how sinful thou art?
Tuka says, I have done with this traffic now ; I
mean to lay thee lowv »^

2762

WILL unite myself alt^least a little with this
• image of thyself ; I will acquaint myself with|
thys teet, then :* do thou as thou wilt. By an
effort of my bq^y* I will offer thee Ganges water
and: a tulsi leaf. Tuka says, I fold my hands-r-^
this is all the service I can render thee,

2763

TpRAME no purposes of thy own, O mind; fix
A thy thoughts on these feet of Vitthoba. His
-lioly face is moulded out of joy ; grief and folly,
and pain are not to be seen there. You will find
rest tliere, says Tuka; all earthly hopes for tha
future will pas^ away.

2764

^WTHY should I feel shy? I have laid aside
^ ^ hesitatipn and opened my mouth. Here, on
•earth, no notice is taken of. a dumb creature ; no
real good can be secured by over-modesty. Such,
-words as occur to me I address to my lord; I
^mboldeti my soul and pass straight on. Tuka
-says, O mind of mine, you have to wrestle with
the powerful ; slap yofir thighs and stand forward, i

16. AUTOBtOCRAPJiY

2765

T WltL lay at 4he f eet of God all my pbweird
^ and any misery that may overtake me; My
voiee will not henceforth find room to exgress any
other feelings. The distraction^/ of riiy mind, the
chaos of my reason, the repentance I feel, may
continue as they were. Tukjf says, I will set my
affections on Vitthoba ; the root of joy shall wax
strong within me. - ■

2766

/^ MIND, why do you trust so much the wet
^^ clay of your' body? Your eyes, handsome
and' clearly outlined as they are, old age will tuf»
in td cotton seeds. Your nose, handsome and'
straight as it is, will come down to meet your
chin. Tuka says, While dieath is not yet at hand>
show some regard to Hari. , ,-..-

2767

CiT well inside your shop, listening and medi-
^^ tating ; wheii you see customers arrive^
empty out your sacks of gOod and bad* Don't
foolishly puff out your cheeks ; keep a full stock
of goods. Hold the scales fairly ; make no
fraudulent sales. Tuka is turned a grocer r he
avoids the eighty- four lakhs of lives^ ^ ;

2768

T AM resolved in niy mind to have no discussions
■*■ with men ; I would attain my own purpose '^
this design I would set before myself and steadily
adhere to it. What use to me- are the noti<ms of

; >

SOME INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE 3^7

Others ? Am I not VitthoM's worshipper ? There
are a few who have gone ahead to $how tfie
way ; why should I foolishly quit that way ?
Tuka says, Vittho^ undertakes' all anxiety for
me '„ I need not fear.

2769

CET no sinful desire before my eyes ; better
^ I were blind ! L^t my ears listen to no
scandal ; m^ke me rather deaf, O God ! Let me
never lust after other men's wives ; better this cli^
were removed from the earth ! Tuka says, 1 abhor
everything ; I find my pleasure in Gopala alone.

X — Sethe kciOeNts in M$ life

2770

XX OW is it this time of trouble has ^overtaken
* "*• me ? To-day I have been afflicted ; I was
harassed in' the hour of God*s service. It is
through some -sin of mine, and through the visit
of these people. Tuka says. They came to pour
wicked words into niy ears.

2771

XX £ will not let m'e sleep in the morning, and at
' "*• night he kefe^ on twittering hke a sparrow.
This wretch is e^Ter at my back, turning my life
into torment. He brings with him a crowd of
people, and sits at his ea6e in the temple. So here
I am come to my own house, says Tuka, to fall
into the horrors of my wife's mouth.

38 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

2772

npHEY will light a firebrand and ruin me.
There is a cr6wd pressing in upon me ; I am
caught in a ravine of the hills. They will find
out a weak point in me, and attack me. Ttfka
says, The crowd is do dense that I cannot go
forward.

2773

T HAVE come to understand what I understood
not; therefore instead of speech I practise
silence. Since once we met, you and I are
parted-. Now I do not fondly look forward to
meeting you. Tuka says, My single-minded faith
has put an end to pilgrimage to and fro.

2774 ' y

A SK Panduranga for the things you desire;
'^^ why besiege a feeble creature like me.?
This is why I retired from the world; delusive
desires grow upon us without end. Whatever we
do, we cannot find peace ; when we reflect, we find
a holy rite to be sinful. Tuka says, *Twere well
now to remain quite still, and remember thee>

Panduranga.

2776

CHOULD we give thee up now, we have nothing
^ in our hand or knotted up in our dress ; our
friends and kindred have forsaken us. So far
as the world goes, I am become like dry leaves
blown about by the wind; so I have lost all shame.

1 dare not go to any one's door ; I have brought

SOME INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE 39

this degradation on myself* What false step did
my mind take ? I can find no refuge now. TvikS^
says, You have many worshippers, so there is^ no
room for me here.

2776

T THROW me down and roll on the ground
"*■ within thy court-yard ; sprinkle holy water oti
me. My body will grpw moist and root; it is rack-
ed by the manifold fever of life. When shall I
reach this spot, I asked myself ; by chance I came
in time for the leavings thy food. Tuka says.
Report, some one, my presence in the temple;
Panduranga will approach me.

2777

Yl^HAT can 1 do? This passion has seized
my boy ; he is always going, to the temple.
He will not listen to anything else that you tell
him ; his mind is full of Vitthoba. He will not follow
his trade at home ; he is always dispirited there.
Nothing of the kind was ever known in our family ;
we never had a madman like him. He pays no
attention to what people say; he has become a
stranger to me. Tuka says, These are the words of
wicked men ; they will go to hell.

2778

Y^^U are my protector, but these clowns cannot
perceive this. They revile me face to face,
and behind my back; they will some day go to
hell. They call me a poet, though in their sinful
hearts they deny it. Tuka says. Who would pay
any heed now to this world ?

40 AUTOBIOORAPHV

277ft

Tl^HERE shall I find food ? Whom shall I go
to? Under whose protection shall I stay
in this town ? The headman here has censured
the town's people ; Who will give me a morsel
now? The people says, he has. lost aU sedase qf
decency ; they drag me before the court. Respect-
able people have brought the matter before the
headman ; I am a feeble creature ; they have
ruined me. Tuka says. Their company is not good
for me ; I shall go now to seek Vit^hoba.

278Q

A DENSE crowd of H^ri's worshippers is as-
"^^ sembled ; there is no room to enter even the
skirts of it. What can I do there ? Who ^fll
listen to what I say ? How can I rebuke you for
this, when I too call myself your worshipper ? 1
know not how to clap the cymbals nor to dance in
time. They are decked with splendid ornaments,
my body is in wretched plight. Tuka says, O
consort of Kamala, do not make me subject to
these men I

2781

TN earlier days, I took up many amusements; my
^ energy is now all spent. I can neither move
nor take a step ; my body is emptied of all its
strength. It is like a fold of cloth that has been
burnt; a strip of cloth that cannot bear pulling.
Tuka says, The moment you try to touch it, it will
cover the world with ashes.

SOME INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE 41

2782

npO-DAY a Manga has touched me, and polluted
•^ my person^ I will undergo the penance
meet for this, filling my heart with Vitthoba.
When rage eiicoHQters i^^* M m^kes me vomit
filth out of my ' mouth. • I will* now bathe in peni-
tence, says Tuka, and look up>on the sun.

♦

2783

Yl^ITHIN fifteen days I §aw his form visibly;
the formless Vitthoba met my gaze. Know
that I made my dwelling on the top of mount
Bhamba ; I made steady the impulses of my mind
in the highest Bramha. Viewing the hour as my
last, I sat down in a steady pOsture, and began to
meditate on the divine. Snakes, scorpiQns, and tigers
beset and assailed me. As camphor disappears in
a flame, so did my body disappear, says Tuka.

2784

T' , '

HIS ignorant body was meirged in the primal
form ; it was overtaken by dissolution. I
attained the primal form pf enlightenment; the
flame of knowledge was kindled within me. Tuka
says. My mind remained in the primal form ; my
body found rest at thy fieet;

2786

TX^E go now to our own village ; receive our

'* 'Rama, Rama*. You and we shall not meet

again ; hereafter, the chain of our rebirth will be

broken. Cease to pity me, I entreat you. Are any

42 AUTOBIOCRAPHY

of you coming to your ^ue home with me ? If so>
call on the name of Vitthoba. Utter the name^ot
Rama Krishpa; I Tuka go to Vaikun^ha.

XV m tiode of life

2796

T OFFER salutations to God ; this is my princi-^
pie ; what do ablutions cost me ? I sweep the
road before the saints, no matter whether it brings
me loss or gain. Whether 370W do it or not, to do
it is my fond desire ; for I love devotion and I have
nothing else to do. I offer service to God, I preach,
I dance in the temple court ; I enjoy the bliss of
love to the full. Tuki isays, I desire not libera-
tion ; this mortal life is sweet to me when I
receive it.

2787

TJODY, mind, and possessions I have surrendered
to the Lord of Pandhari ; no greed after
money, no anxious cares, no hopes reside in me
now ; I have loosed off me the net of worldly in-
terests. Tuka says, I carry with me only the
^^me of Vitthoba and not a copper of money.

2788

* T^ MPLOY me to pjsrfprm a kathct * — if I say
so to any one;' let my tongue rot away
frono me* Thou art my helper;- what is there
lacking with thee ? What need I ask from other
creatures? Tuka says. All powers reside in thy
feet.

HIS MODE OF LIFE 43

SV89

T WILL be bom ^s one of the pebbles shar^p qr
round, the particles of dust large or small, on
the road to Pandhari ; I shall touch the fe^t of
the saints. I will be bom as hosen or sandalS) on
the feet of any of the saints; as a cat or dog or
hog, to lick up the food they leave. • As a drairf or
step or stream or well on the Ganges* bank, for
the saints walk across- them. Set me, O God, in
any place where the feet of the saints will touch me.

2790

^1)[7HERE is no place in me now for sin or merits
^^ for anxiety about loss or gain ; living, I am
dead ; ' My Own * and ' Other's ' have vanished ;
the root of worldly cares is cut through. Rank>
race, colour, creed and caste ; all are gone ; there
is room no more for truth or falsehood. Life
amoiig men, life in the forest, the active life, the
inactive, they are the same with me ; I cannot find
any difference between one thing and another.
Tuka; sayBi Whep I oi&red my body to Vifthoba>
I did all that was needed to worship him. '

2791

Come respect I do show men, according as I
^ think proper r otherwise prince and peasant
are alike. I am indifferent to my own person ; so
there is no fear or preference in me. Tuka says,
J amuse . myself with unforced diversion ; I am
therefore above joy or grief.

44 ; AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

-/^IVE me not learning nor life lasting jthfpu^
y^::y.Wnf(th of days ; I am not mad. after lirberA-
^ipi^r/t^i^t me di^ uttering ' Rama IfS^rish^a/^^this
i^ tl^fi^^jl ask of thy grace. Give me not wealth
ov^W9^ui\^ 9P children be born to me. Let me
diel >wi^4 '^® J^P^^ ^f Narayana on my lips.
This; saiys Tuka, IS my prayer, O Pandurangaj.

2793

^IXT'HAT loss will you suffer, if you accept my
* service without an agreement as to wages ?
What wages need you pay me ? I string together
rhymes and preach eccentric doctrines ; I h^ve- lyo
true knowledge or spirit of devotion. My speech
is incapable of expressing thy attributes ; I put
forth such arguments as will put others to silence.
So keep me at your feet, and then you will see
some spirit of love in me. . Pepple will laugh at
you, says Tuka, because you insist that your wor-
shippers should have no desire.

XTT.H^is umw mti the saints

2794

•

^ I ^HE saints have raised me to eminence, as a
^ jujube tree is pervaded by the sandal tr<^
that . surround it. . They never asked about my
faults or merits or caste ; they gave me a place at
their fe6t Tuka says, If a man can please a rich
and powerful patron, a beggar is turned into a
prince, -

HIS RELATION WITiJ THE SAINTS 45

2795

WILL carry oir my 5h6ulders the sandals and
hosen of the saints ; I will dance before them
with the cymbals in riiy hand. I know nothing
of the ritual of worship or means of attainmentir
of mystic contemplation, meditation, postures^,
trance ; I am ignorant, unashamed, I cannot recog-
nize musical notes. All my possessions, family
and treasure, says Tuka, are the feet of saints
^uftd teachers.

2796

A FTER much length of time, my merit bore
"^^ fruit ; good fortune dawned and left its im-
pression. How is it it came to meet me ? I
reached, the feet of the ^ints. Now vanished are
my eager longings, the fetters cast upon me by the
misery of life ; I see manifest before me the eternal
Bramha, purple in hue. My body was glorified by
the embrace of the saints, when 1 laid my head at
their feet- Tuka says, I am fully satisfied with
the bliss the saints have bestowed on me; I fell
prostrate when I saw their troop before me.

2797

TN future lives, bring me to life in the houses of
Hari's servants. If you: bid me ask for s6mQ^
thing, then I say * Grant me this, O Panduranga f '
When I throw myself at thie saints* feet, be not
ashamed. Give me strength, says Tuka ; I will
dance in their ji^ous assemblies.

46 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Xin -Cilui $ Bretbef

3798

^WTH AT shall I say, O Lord of the senses ?
^^ Such a fit of remorse has passed over me
that I cannot wait a moment to swallow you up? You
have ruined my house; you have sent my poor
children begging from door to door; you have'
parted them and set them wailing. All I c^n do^
now is to. take youj life and give you mine, for my
brother's sake. Whether thie world call me good or
bad, says Tuka's brother, that shall not make me
quit my hold on you.

2799

^IXTHEN my father anA mother died, I was left
^ * to depend on my brother ; yet even then,
O Hari, you gave us no help. Is this the return-
you make for devotion, to destroy a prosperous,
household ? Is this the end of the tiransaction, is
this the grace you dealt in? Hanging on one life
were two families ; could you dare, O shameless
wretch, to disorder it ? Tuka's brother says. What
■else can we call you ? He was a madman to join
himself to you.

2800

^^t/E heard long ago that this befell our fore-
^^ fathers ; O consort of Shri, thou didst make
them thy servants and set them free from all
anxious care. Why dost thou putsue us thus, why-
is it even now thou hast not ceased ; how long*

TlTKA'S BROTHER 47

Vf'\\t thou try us ? We have a quarrel with thee
from life to life; why dost thou keep up the same
pretence ? How is it, says Tuka's brother, thoir
aft become so blind ? One who eats not cannot
bear to see one who eats.

2801

"IXTE were managing our affairs prosperously;
"^ we were filling our bellies; you brought
upon lis this Spirit of Mischief ; you displayed
your divine power. Why did you utterly destroy
oiur family ? We were the only branches that were
left ; yet you could not bear to see even us ; you
put an open estrangement between us. Tuka's
brother says, Because you found the. top of the
cane sweet, need you eat it up root and all ?

2802

\rOU understand full well what right and wrong
; are ; therefore you can produce night by
closing your own eyes. Answer me now as best you
can ; I have woven a net round you. Of set pur-
pose, you have made yourself ignorant, the better to
enjoy the service of men ; yet this conviction will
bear fruit for him alone who holds it. Tuki's
brother says,. Now no one can blame us; it is you
who have made us cling to your feet.

2803

... ,

CHOULD any misery overtake our children,
- bethink thee what the result will be, O In-
finite One. Wfe have reached tranquillity, without
pains in speech or word^, we have escaped from

48 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

drudgdrsr and fatigue. We liave penetrated your
secret and got you comfortably m our gra^. You
can make no excuse for yourself. Tuka's brother
says, You have cheated me finely ; move on.
before me, fellow, I have had the good luck to
secure you.

2804

■ f

C\ GOD, you owe a debt to my forefathers ; wHy
^^ haven't you paid it off to me yet ? Your
turbulence has brought you into notice ; be assur-^
ed I shan't let you sneak away safe and soimd. I'
shall make the whole affair . known ; I shall
produce you before the saints; why need I be[
afraid of you when I am asking for my own ? I
was an ignorant child till now ; you improved on
the opportunity ; now I will not abate one cowri
of my rights. Tuka*s brother says, I have already
drowned my soul in water ; I shall tie my throat
fast to your feet.

2805

I-JAD I known you well in the past, I should
not have let you take breath ; I should have
forced you to a settlement there and then. Had
I not been so backward, I should not have had to
wait so long ; what need was there to bring a closed
transaction before a court ? Though our commodi-
ties were genuine, how often we had to call on you
and go away 1 My brother sat thirteen daysat yotir
dooTi Even at this late hour, O Hari, avoid the
censure of the world; else, says Tuka*s brother^
you will have no vestige of honour left*^ •

DESCRIPTIONS AND INVOCATIONS 49

2806

T WILL not wait a moment ; I know your repu-
tation. I will not let you stir without doing
something for me. With whom have you to deal ?
Why do you close your eyes ? I will take you
before the court ; yield ! or 1 will drag you there.
You give nothing willingly, I know, as long as
we are quiet and do no mischief ; yet we have be-
gun by -making this request to you. How many
you have ruined in this way ! There is no end to
their number. I, Tuka's brother, say, you will
iiow give up this way of yours.

2807

T^^Y brother has gained a treasure which count-
less ages cannot exhaust ; at one onslaught
he has brought down the whole of Vaikuntha*
There is no more coming and going for us, nothing
more for us to do ; life after life we may sit and
feast comfortably. This treasure cannot be county
ed ; it fills the heavens with joy, the whole earth
is continually filled with it. Tuka's brother says>
A marvellous treasure of the highest bliss we have
found.

XTU.— Descit^ONS aitd TttOQCiitiotis

2808

/^ EVIL age. I fear thee not, for I love dearly
r^^ this name. Thou knowest not who it is that
strengthens me ; it is Narayana, the help of the

80 :: : AUTOBIOQRAPHY

saints. He slew Shankha in the ocean, and came
back with the four Vedas. In the form of the
Tortoise, he slew the mighty demon, and hid his
hands and feet under his belly. In the form of the
great Boar, did he valiantly sustain the earth on
his tusk. He tore Hiranyakoshipa and protected
Pralhada; he became, a Dwarf, and cast the de-
mon Bali down intp hell. He lopped off the thousand
arms and brought back the cow of wishes. His
prowess made stones float on the sea; he slew
Ravana and set Bibhishma on the throne. When
the enemy began to vex Panchali, Hari made
himself into clothes. Tuka says, All who have be-
come one in form with Hari have not returned to
birth again.

2809

'T^HE gods and the demons churned the ocean,
\ . thus a burden . was laid on the earth that it
could not bear. Then didst thou become a tortoise
and hold it on thy back ; thou dost take thought for
all, O Hari ! Then did all the gods offer their
praises. There are countless such stories of thee,
says Tuka ; he of the thousand tongues was wearied
in reciting them.

2810 -

TN this wise did Durvasa bring the message back ;
-■■ then, O Narayana, didst thou grow in stature.
Thou didst set thy feet at Bali's gate, thou didst
lengthen out the head on thy trunk, thou didst
force an entrance into Dvaravati, and make thy
\vay out. Hence, says Tuka, did that place become
'known as Dvaraka.

PANDHARI ANP VJTTHOBA 51

2811

^T^HOU didst slay the two demons Maru and
Kushan ; thou didst make Durvasa, the Lord
of sages, happy.

2812

\TOlD oi talent as I am how can I describe thy
imagined form, when the Vedas and Shrutis
are silent concerning it ? I have made for thee
an ornament of my mind ; I have set thy lotus feet
in my heart. Thy holy face is moulded out of
happiness; it dispels my thirst And hunger. My
tongue delights to sing these verses, my spirit is
pacified. Tuka says, I gaze upon thy feet, thy
lovely feet with saffron dyed.

2813

^TpH Y glory is incomprehensible, the Vedas close
•*■ their mouths before it ; the mind and the
breath are foot -sore before they overtake it. From
thee sun and moon derive their light ; what is my
reason in such a matter ? How can I describe thy
splendour? The serpent with a thousand tongues
■cannot sufficiently praise thee. We are thy chil-
dren, says Tuka, thou art our mother ; O spread
over us the shade of thy mercy !

XU.— PmaDwl m UittDoM

2814

/^O, go to Pandhari ; be, be a pilgrim there !
.^^ Would you leave the pebbly shore for Vai*
kuntha ? Load your shoulders with flags, put tuisi

52 .AUTOBIOGRAPHY

wreaths and powder on yourselves. In the crowd-
ed gathering of saints, Tuka falls on the ground.

2815

pUNDALIKA is the Prince of devotees, he has
achieved his aim, he has brought his own
highest Bramha from Vaikuntha. Panduranga in
the image of a child, along with the cows and cow-
herds, comes before us out of love and stands
upright and unmoved. Truly this is another Vai-
kuntha, with one letter prefixed to it ; men may
talk of other places, but they are not like this*
Within a circuit of ten miles round the place sin
cannot enter ; how then can there be any question
of actions prescribed or forbidden ? The Puranas
affirm that the people there are gods with four
hands. It rests on the holy wheel, so that no
enemy can enter there throughout a whole age.
Pandhari is great among holy places, its glory i^
unrivalled. Blessed, blessed, says Tuka, are the
pilgrims that go there.

2816

TT^HE bliss of Vaikuntha has visited Pandhari ;
Pundalika has stored it all up. Take it, take
it, my good friends ; make your tongue the true
measure of it. Make but one journey hither ; you
need never make another. Roll up and lay aside the
impressive shows of the world ; as long as lasts
your little life, dwell in Pandhari. Neglect not this
gain ; Tuka entreats the country folk.

PANDHARI AND VITIHOBA 53

O be endowed with all attributes is a mark pf

this God alone; others have some of them

one, some another. The six divine perfections

exist in the Supreme alone; Tuka says, Whatever

you can name is found as a grace in this Vitthala^

2818

'T^HIS satisfies the longings of our sense; we
-^ shall find it sweeter as time goes on. The
best use of our life upon earth is to visit Pandhar-
pur. We shall see with our eyes that source of
bliss; it will settle in the very base of our mind,
Tuka says, Our ears will judge of the samples
they hear and present us with the good.

2819

'T^HE market day when Ashadha is near; the
market day in Kartika; these two are
enough, you need not trade on other days. This
is what you should buy and sell ; a heap of union
with God accompanied by faith. I know of
nothing and nobody, says Tuka, but Vitthoba.

2820

XJ A ! Pundalika ! what made you so insolent,
-*- ^ that you set Vitthala standing upright here ?
How came you. to be so rude, that you threw a
brick behind you? Full eight and twenty ages
have now passed, but you do not say * Sit down ! *
Seeing your ardent faith, God left Vaikuntha ; you
are indeed, O Pundalika, says Tuka, a sturdy
fellow !

34 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

2821

'TT^HISis an ancient mine we have opened up*
■*■ though rifled by many hands, it is not ex-
hausted. Sages and masters and adepts have prer
served it with care. It became known through the
virtue of a child bom iPeet foremost ; Pundalika
proclaimed it to the world. Tuka says, I was
present here as a poor man, I was lucky enough to
get a portion of it small or large.

2822

TJLESSED are they that live in Pandhari, blessed
^^ are these creatures that they were born ; all
that belong to the -four kingdoms of life, insect$
and royal birds alike, possessed of the three quali-
ties. Caste's high and low, men, women and chil-
dren, they have all of them become four-armed
gods. Tuka says, I will be born and dwell there ;
I will be a neglected stone of Pandhari.

2823

A S for those who say that Bramha is different
'^^ from Vitthala, let not the saints pay any
heed to their words. Any other worship than that
of Vitthala, be assured, is all a delusion. Whoever
tell tales of any other than Vitthala, be assured,
their countenances shall fall. Whatever know-
ledge they have save knowledge of Vitthala, * all
that learning is wasted. Tuka says, Vitthala
alone is true, all else is an impressive sham.

2824

A MAN should seize a piece of good luck ready
'^^ . to his hand ; he should store up such goods
as will not come to an end. A store of goods has

PAN0HAR1 AND VITTHOBA S5

come to Pandharptir; they have beed sold on
credit at a proflti Empty now your bags and fill
them in haste with this commodity^ - Tiika says,
Like the saints, we tod shall spread forth our
cloaks.

282&

'T^HE infinite Veda has spoken, but this is all the
^ purport brought to light ; we should seek the

protection of Vitthoba, we should sing his name
with fixed attention. The deliberations of the
Shastras has settled only this. This creed, says
Tuka, is the conclusion of the eighteen iPuranas. -

2826

T LOVE the town of Pandhari, the Bhima;
Panduranga, the Ghandrabhaga, the linga and
Pundalika.

2827

XJTAPPY are they who dwell in Pandhari ; their
* speech is sweet, their bodies are glorified;
the dull, the feeble-minded, the thoughtless, the
wicked, at Pandhari they are full of compassion.
All are full of peace and forbearance, forgetful of
the world, free from desire and stain of impurity.
They have no pride of caste, says Tuka, they are all
emancipated souls.

2828

A PILLAR of wisdom he made himself, hence
'^^ his name is Vitthoba. How is it you know
not his name ? Is it not known to the Veda ? The
serpent set forth his praise, but his tongue -was

56 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

riven and he became nothing but a bed for him
to lie on. Tuka says, His authority prevails over
the head of Time.

2829

AX^HOSO has gone to Pandharpur he contem-
plates no other pilgrimage. Accessible is
the prince of Pandhari, my mother ; she attends
to the signs which our souls make to her. He who
has a heap of merits from past lives, he does well to
go to Pandharpur. When we leave it we feel
ready to die, our throat is choked with sobs. They
say, * Finish the meal of holy curds ; turn your
face back to it once more. Let us see the place
again, and catch sight of the Lord of Pandhari.'
Tuka says, O yery heaven upon earth is the pebbly
bank of the Bhima !

2830

"pUNDALIKA brought down to earth the Lord
of Vaikuntha ; he was eminently blessed.
He was the strength of fortitude, the crown of
worshippers, unblemished in faith, the sanctifier
of merit. Through the merit gained by serving his
parents he obtained a treasure ; the eternal Bramha
embraced him. Yea, he spent a time of joy and
mirth with him ; for know that there came to
his house a guest from Vaikuntha. Blessed was
his glorious strength, his devotion known to all
men. Tuka says. Liberation lies suppliant at his
feet.

2831

TN my first verse I shall weave the three worlds

together and sing of holy Panduranga. In

my second I say there is no second to him ; in the

PANDHARI AND VITTHOBA 57

wilderness and in resorts of men Panduranga meets
me. In my third verse, I say there is no particle
of mere matter anywhere, all is God. In my
fourth, I put my grain into the mill ; I sing my
treasure Panduranga. In my fifth, I sing Pandu-
ranga, my mother's home for ever. In my sixth,
the six shastras close, Panduranga comes forward to
be my teacher. In my seventh, I remember Pandu-
ranga every moment, he is seated before my eyes.
My eighth reminds me that for twenty-eight ages
Panduranga has stood on the Chandrabhaga.
With my ninththe grinding ceases, I escape death
while I am still in the world. This is my tenth,
O ten times incarnate, Tuka prays, may I never
return to this life again.

2832

TN proof of this their arms are raised ; consult
the Vedas and the Puranas.

2833

'T^HIS player on the Bhima stage, he has alto-
get her bewitched me. My mind and my reason
are stupefied, they have lost their skill in worldly
affairs. How conformably to the occasion he speaks ;
with what courtesy he lays his restraints upon us !
A great enchanter is he, says Tuka; he stands
waiting for us everywhere.

2834

/^OME let us go to Alandi and look on Dnyan-
^■^ deva.

58 ■- AUTOBIOGRAPHY . ^

2835

F)AMOJI PANT sent off his cash balance ; God
"^^ saved him from shame. Attend, all of you,
listen to the tale; I make my salutation to the
saints. He was dwelling at Mangalvedha with his
family,- a* man honoured by all the traders there*
What was his vocation? He was headman of
the district, when a famine occured there; he
broke open the royal granaries and saved Pandhari
from famine ; poor wretches who had none to help
them he rescued, and his fame spread throughout
the kingdom. The accountant was a Kanarese
Bramhana, he sent in a complaint. The unbored^
. who ruled at Bedar, when he saw the paper sum-
moned Damoji. Damoji was arrested and sent off. —
Come here ! see how Vitthala deceived them ! He
raised the current price by a quarter, and put down
as much money as all the grain was worth. He
wrote a report in Damoji*s name, put it in the sack
and sealed it up. Theij Vitthala came to the help
of his worshippers, he made himself a Mahara ;
he -went to the king at Bedar. * Johara ! * he
cried. The prince, his father and mother, ask
* Whence come you ? * * My home is at Mangal-
vedha,' says he. * Damoji has sent you the cash
balance.* He emptied the sack and poured out the
report. The king was glad to see it ; he says * I
need not have summoned him.* * What is your
name ? * say the clerks ; * I am Vitha the
porter,' says he, * let the prince give a receipt for
the money.' * We will count it out and give you

1 Uiibored. This is a term of reproach used by a
Hindu towards a Mussalman.

PANDHARI AND VITTHOBA 59

one, * say they. They wrote and gave him a
receipt: the king gave him leave to depart. An
umbrella, a horse, a litter he sent with him and a
messenger to accompany him. Now they missed
Damoji on the* road as they Went back, and they
all reached Mangalvedha as they were. Damoji
was taken to Bedar ; the prince says * I am agiaz-
ed to see you ! Vesteirday Vitha- the porter came
with the money ; I gave him leave to depart and
sent an answer with him. Say at once what do
you want ? Tell nie your purpose.' * How did
Vitha come here? Who sent ..him? When?'
They brought out the record and laid it before him.
When he saw it his heart was broken, his eyes
filled with tears and he turned to the king. * My
lord, my lord, I will be your servant no more ; you
have wearied my friend Vitthoba.' ' He took leave
and went to his own place ; he turned his back' oh
the world henceforth. Thus did Damoji serve
Pandhari, Hari stood close by him as a servant.
Tuka says, Vittho is the champion of those that
have no protector ; Hari does not • disappoint his
servants.

2836

*T^HE spirit which none could control was nailed
by Pundalika to this spot.

2837

'T^HE final truth of the sutras is that God alone
exists,- but Panduranga is a sea of mercy.
* Hari — Om * with rising and falling tones of in-
flection is all comprised in Panduranga. Though
he belcMigs not to the three high castes, he is the
very source of the Veda, says Tuka-.

CDe nature of God

2838

TTHE Shrutis say of him * Not that, not that';
Tuka says, His own essential form is the
seed from which reality springs.

2839

/^AN we or how can we comprehend thee ?
^^^ How can we bring thee within our experi-
ence ? Whether thou hast or hast not attributes,
whether thou art great or small I can form no idea.
How can I resolve, what plan can I form to cross
the sea of the world ? Tuka says, How can we
reach thy feet ? I know not the secret.

2840

^X7E are but simple and faithful worshippers,
^ ^ how can we fathom your propensities ? We
heard of your grandeur and approached you with a
prayer. Though you truly exist, you have become
here as though you were not ; our eager desires do
but multiply our anxieties. Hitherto, with all our
reflection, we cannot comprehend you; without
patience we shall lose all our pains. Tuka says,
Speech has led to further speech, my intelligence
has grown keen.

HIS RELATION TO THE WORLD 61

2841

T FEEL compelled to sing of God and worship
him ; as a stranger in a strange land I cannot
be silent. He recognizes no elder or younger ; no
power second to himself. From the very beginning
he needed no relative or mother. As chance pre-
sented itself he forsook them all, but through the
impulse of love he set on foot a plan for uniting
"Others with himself. The Supreme Soul was
corrupted by becoming an individual soul ; he was
melted and poured into several moulds. In his
desire for ornaments he turned himself into baser
metal — how could his properties be distinguished ?
Now while the metal is still molten, better it were
to make the whole a glittering mass. . We cannot
discern its true nature without hammering it ;
Tuka is impatient to do so ; I will disclose what
was in my mind. Inspire me with a keen desir6
to begin ; then I will sing thy praise.

TT.—I)i$ relation to m worM

2842

TF you bring it to pass, this may happen : the
dull may grow sharp, and the learned mad.
Yet no one knows the secret ; I prefer to endure
the pits of sorrow. A lame man can cross a
rtiountain, a dumb man can speak, a sinful man
grow virtuous, a wicked man abstain from injuries,
all this can Hari bring to pass in mere sport, he
can set the whole world free. He amuses himself,,

62 ^ THE NATURK OF GOP

says Tuka ; he observes the world, pervading it yet
sitting apart.

2843

npHE mind is nothing but the act of thinking,
, which follows the lusts of the. senses as they

^row,. As the body makes progress, the hands
a,nd feet are apparently separate, but the soul con-
trols all. Light belongs entirely to the sun, though
in speech we give different names to it under
different forms. Tuka says. From speech proceeds
the measure of difference ; if we keep silence how
can we distinguish between various aspects of
things?

2844

|OES our attendance on you cause a loss to
your purse ? Why do you keep me aloof by
your illusions ? You are chief among the wise. O
answer me this precisely. What pleasure do you
find in this diversion, while we suffer many kinds
of pain ? Tuka says why .do you render yourself
void of attributes ? Who will save us now ?

2845

/^OD is wise ; he puts forth all his authority in
^^ a moment of time. God is skilful ; he acts
with full knowledge of our hearts. God is separate
from the world, from all taint of pollution, says
Tuka.

2846

Y^OUR body belongs to God, your wealth to

Kubera; what right has man over these

things ? It is God who gives, and brings about all

HIS RELATION TO THE WORLD 63

gifts, • who leads and causes us to be led ; what
ix)wer has man in these matters ? Yet this mortal
creature esteems himself master of the cause ; he
wastes his life saying *Mine*, *Mine\ Tuka says,
To secure perishable treasures, why do you struggle
with God.

2847

npHOU hast created us and bestowed on us pro-
perties ; it is fit therefore that thou shouldst
protect us. For thyself thou hast no desires in
respect of pleasure or pain, but thou shouldst not
see thy servants lack anything ; thou $houldst give
them what they need. Tuka says, Feeder of
the Universe, direct thj^ glance to what is straight
before thee !

2848

AX^HEN we merge ourselves in the source of all
. life, the whole of creation appears to us as a

form of Harj. Tuka says, What shall I say ?
By a sudden impulse I am filled with Hari.

2849

TT^HE Feeder of the Universe is present through-
. out it ; lifis and lifeless things exist through
him. In him all find a place ; all gods find a re-
fuge in him. Tuka says, Desire no other gods ; if
you look on them as different from him, guilt in-
stead of merit will cling to you.

2850

ILX^HY do yoji force yourselves into a madness
. • for religion ? God stands just before you.
:He has neither front nor back, yet he swallows the
three worlds at a mouthful. You do not see the

64 THE NATURE OF GOD

opportunities which lie before you ; who would
lose anything if you did so ? Tukfi sings of God
by the aid of his name ; in this matter there is no
'We' and * You*.

TTT — UniOH mh 6ea Hecesiary

2851

TpHE tall tree is latent in the seed; the seed is
•^ the last of the tree. So is it with you and
me ; we are absorbed in each other. The waves
gather on the water ; yet the waves are them-
selves the water. Tuka says, You are the orb, I
am the reflection ; in their own original source both
are merged.

2862

"^XTHEN bound up in the mind it dwells for ever
^ with it, it shines for ever by its own light.

The truest union is that within ; it admits of no
separation. Within the storehouse of memory the
-universe can be grasped ; it is well you should
bear ample room for it. Tuka says, This gain you
shall have in the innermost recess of your house,
if only you do not bredk the strings of love.

2853

HPHAT Lord of souls dwells in the souls of all
creatures ; keep watch from moment to mo-
ment in your own abode. He seems to be differ-
ent from you, but dwells like a seed within you.
Tuka says. Know your duty, lay hold of the secret
of contemplation.

UNION WITH. GOD NECESSARY 65

8854

/^IVE me the power to serve thee, O God, then
^^ will I not serve the world. This is the chief
duty of man ; know this, ye that are capable of
knowledge. Know that God exists within your
minds, in a form corresponding to your faith.
Tuka says, We grow maid after that to which we
apply ourselves in fond desire.

2855

Gome of us are thy favoured children, elder oir
^ younger, so we can never be scorned by thee,
we shall always have gentle answers and sweet
meats from thee. We are not deceived into think-
ing ourselves separate ; we have settled ourselves
firmly on the basis of all things. We have put
thy own ornaments upon us ; every decoration we
wear. Though we spend this endless treasure, we
never exhaust it; this wealth has no bounds; it
cannot be counted. Tuka says, We do lovingly
entreat thee, and therefore thou hast shown us this
gain.

2856

T EMPTIED my body and made a place therein
•*• for Panduranga ; it is now an easy matter to
cherish and nurture it; what indeed matters the
body when I have full faith in him ? When * I *
died, this dwelling-place was prepared for him;
this lamp was kindled to all eternity. In one
instant I became as though I was not; there' is
no need to say more,, says Tuka.

66 THE NATURE OF GOD

2857

TX^E should still entertain the fear, that perhaps
his feet may be lost to jus. If we are parte<i
from God, what use is life to us? What other
stranger can we look on as ourself ? Tuka says,
It matters not whether the world exists or not.

2858

1^^ Y own natural character is beyond n^y control ;
even if I surrender it to thee, I gain nothing.
I have found this out now, O Narayana, for the
experience of my waking hours does not agree
with my dreams. Whatever part I play, it is all
outward show ; there is no inner imion of me and
thee. Tuka says, There is no back or front to
truth ; it is altogether the same in every part.

2859

'M^OW it is well to enjoy what is left us in our
• homes. Good and evil do not pass before
our eyes ; so no distress of mind is possible. Speech
multiplies speech, — fruitless chaff and vexation. If
we carry our entreaties- to God, what he desires
from us is service. As long as we are struggling
to clear up accounts between us, we can neither go
forward nor backward. Tuka says, Now I have
jFound out that all is well as long as we do not feel
ourselves other than God.

2860

npHE sea rises up in vapour ; th«i he joins the
. -*• Ganges and other streams ; he is still only
sporting with himself. Between the two manifes-

UNION WITH GOD NECESSARY 67

tations what takes place is of no account ; it is all
the effect of his environment upon him. So it is
with you and me. Our vessels and our dwellings
are all in the womb of space; they are brought
Into existence by words, by words they are de.-
stroyed. Tuka says, The seed brings forth the
seed ; fruits and flowers appear and disappear.

2861

XJERE and now it is true, that I cannot turn
back again. Let any strait come upon me
that will ; the body brings real things to pass and
I am its victim. To find union with thee, we must
surrender thee our own souls, O God. Tuka is
no designing knave ; let us have the case decided
in the presence of the four.

2862

^XTE may close the gates of the senses, but we
cannot do away with the disorders they have
tKcasioned ; these are incurable. Thou dwellest
m the mind, pervading it ; it is my view, that thou
shouldst^ be entirely dissociate from objects. There
are witnesses of thy grace near us, but mere words
accomplish nothing. Tuka says. It is when we
•actually mingle-WWh thee that we live in harmoni-
ous concord ; I lie at thy feet and entreat thee for
'this.

2863

T ET no crushing blow fall on me now, for dis-
tress would step between us and destroy me.
Why did I destroy the soul within me that I felt
•to be separate from thee ? Because my neck was
•hound by the rope of desire, and I grew quite

68 THE NATURE OF GOD )

helpless. Tuka says, I relegate to their own place^
the tribe of individual souls altogether.

2865

F^WELL in a city of cloud-land that lasts but
"■"^^ a moment ; make that your ancestral home.
Weave an invisible chain of sky-flowers, and wor-
ship Lakshmi and Narayana. Arrange to marry the
son of a barren woman, and make haste to gaze on
the ceremony. Make a drinking-place of mir^g^
and quench the thirst of heated men of seqs^
Tuka says, Unreal are our body, Q\ir senses and our
actions ; offer all your actions then to Bramha».
good sir, and become Bramha.

2866

OANDURANGA has truly shown us his grace
by driving out of us all doubts, all sense of
difference from him. A bed is strewn with ioy
both for my soul and his; we have ascended t6 a
seat above the three worlds. Tuka is laid to rest
in the primal form, as a child is lulled by a gentle
cradle-sqng. , » ,

2867 vfi

'IXT'HEN the members of a fkfeily pronounce his
^^ name to each other, their forefathers, their
children, their property are purified. What was
declared of old — how can it pass on to the future ?
He has anointed men with the unction of pure
identity. The royal canopy of emancipation
gleams on high for an emblem ; the sky resound
with unbroken acclamations. The Lord of Tuka
sets his servant on his own throne and celebrates
a festival of mutual love. •

DISTINCTION FROM GOD NECESSARY 69

2868

^I^HE life of action, the life of contemplation we
"*• have melted into one; we have drawn off a
pure extract of both. Our vital activity we have
brought low in the fire of grave philosophy, to
bring our own soul into union with the highest.
Bramha we have cooked in Bramha full speedily ;
we have found the dish palatable by experience.
We have discovered that the two flavours corre-
spond in reaching this end ; we have tasted in many
mouthfuls contemplation of the self. Tuka attain-
ed to good health in his eight members, and showed
forth in temple-yards the joy of finding his true
«elf.

2869

^lilTlTH thee and me it is as with the waves
of the sea. There is but one nature be-
tween us both. They speak of God and his
worshippers as separate only while error has not
yet disappeared. As the yarn and the web are one,
so is the Pervader one with the universe.

2870

UKA says, In Hari's name my mind passed
out of mind.

1U — DiititictioH from 1M tiecei$«ry

2871

I ^HE ceaseless utterance of thy name has spread
far and wide ; there is a steady flow of love
from thy form. Tuka says, My delight is in de-
votion ; I am in no hurry to be absorbed in God.

70 THE NATURE QF GOD

2872

TF ydu and I should become one and the san^e^.
how then could the service of my Lord exist as a
graceful ornament for me to wear ? There would
be no room for love. If utterance should cease,,
how could this joy exist? Tuka says, As it is, we
dance before thee with fond delight.

2873

TX^H Y should I return to my former course of
life, to endure all its struggles ? You know
this well, O God, but you pay no heed to it ; 'twere
well if you left me under my present delusion. I
broke the very mould of identity with you and
escaped from it ; but you have allowed indolence
to creep over you. Tuka says. Be generous now
betimes, there is no reason for long delay.

2874

T HAVE come back to my earlier wish ; what 1
delight in is this bond of servant and master.
Give me speedily the gift I have asked for ; I still
preserve the true principle with me. Of this I
avail myself to secure a word from thee ; showing
this as my passport I shall reach my goal. Tuka
says. How many knots must I cut to reach thee,
though the sight of thee cuts the ^knots qf the^
world ?

2875

TT^HERE is nothing that my soul desires,but only
• you, O Keshava. I seek not Vaikuntha or
union with the Absolute ; I am well pleased to be
bom on earth again. Who would desire, for its.

THE ALL-PERVADING NATURE OF GOD 71

own sake, this world of death, to endure misery
among men ? Tuka says, Let every one learn that
I am thy servant.

28^6

TX^HY should I attain liberation as long as I
have life ? I should lose the comfort of love.
Narayana is a slave of the Vaishnavas ; what
would it profit them to be absorbed into him?
What have I lost from my own purse, that I
should sit down sunk in silence. For us this pure
delight was brought into existence ; a luckless
mortal is he who repels it. Tuka says, I do not
desire absolute union ; I will stay in the company
of the saints.

2877

TT^HE immortals in heaven petition God, * Let us
•^ be bom in the world of mortal men. The
name of Narayana will liberate our souls ; we shall
sing songs of praise to the Infinite.* The den-
izens of Vaikuntha are for ever asking * When will
the servants of Hari come to visit us ? ' Yama
stands ever erect waiting for him with folded
hands. Tuka says, To reach the further shore his
pious worshippers treasure up the spell of his
name.

U — €b( «ii-renNidittg Namre of God

2878

TXT'E have a touch-stone in our own hands,— the

. truth that God resides in all beings. Yet I

seem to have missed the path that the saints

72 THE NATURE OF GOD

travelled by. Tuka says, Pretences are futile*,
experience alone brings results to pass.

2879

TT is he who sets the mind in motion ; in his
**• hands both strings are one. He sets men
dancing with various desires, so that they amuse
themselves with pleasures. The moon sends so
the message to the lotus ; iron rises up at the sight
the magnet, says Tuka.

2880

^npHE baby often kicks his mother, yet even that
' ^ gratifies her. When * this ' and * that ' are
imited in feeling, then happiness dwells in the
mind. Whatever she eats to sustain her life, a
portion of it passes on to him. I tell you all freely,
says Tuka, the relation is like that of debtor and
-creditor.

, 2881

T^OES he not dwell in my heart, when he per-
"^ ! vades all beings ? His grace will guide my
spirit, it will set my mind in motion. All my
.-powers are at a standstill ; I have carried out no
purpose of my own. Tuka says, The post and
strings are in his hands; the puppets dance as
he sets them dancing.

2882

TF any one thinks that God is in holy-places and

**• others are void of him, this is the error of a

man' who professes knowledge. God has a good

• reason^ for avoiding him; the influence of his

THE ALL-PERVADING NATURE OF GOD 73

qpsiSt is aa obstacle between him and God. The
notion that some places i^e pure andothers impure
leads to a distinction between things innocent and
things sinful; this will bring the. wrong conse-
quences. Tuka says, The true secret is that God
iiUs the universe ; if we miss this, all religious
observances are futile.

2883

,^\ GOD, I will give your secrets into the charge
/^^ of men, assigning one to each of them; I
will guard them myself when the time comes.
You need not expand yourself throughout space,
since you possess the heart of each man every-
where. An affair that comes in due course of
business is easily adjusted, there is no need for
violence. Tuka says, To gain a decision I cut
myself off from the world.

2884

npHE sinful man knows not that one life is like
another ; he sits down to cut another's throat.
God is present as the soul in all created beings ;
how is it he does not recognize him in the brutes ?
He sees a soul groaning and howling ; yet how do
his cruel hands conduct themselves ? The villain
will go down to hell, says Tuka.

2885

/^OD clings to my person, he will not let me go—
c^^ what am I to do with him ? All other gods
come and go, but this god keeps with one all
through life. His inspiration fills all my limbs ;
the whole world seems to me to be God. This

74 THE NATURE OF GOD

spirit will hot Speak out clearly ; whatever I dp-
he will not leave me. This deity has devoured my
life, with all the five elements of my body^ Tuka
says, With passionate longing he stands before-
Pundalika.

2886

Til^HILE God is all the time in his body, the il!-
starred wretch goes^vandering idly in search
of him. While God is all the time within him, he
goes idly from one sacred place to another. The
musk is in the naval of the musk-deer, but the deer
goes idly wandering about the forest. As the
sugar-cane is the very source of sugar, so does
God show himself in all creatures. Butter is con-
cealed in milk, but there are men who know not
how to chum it out. Tuka says to foolish man-
kind, How is it you cannot see God in your own
bodies ?

UL— Cbe UMoenalliy of Soas Grace

2887

UKA says, He is impatient in the extreme; it
is more than enough that you have met him»

2888

T^'ARK what various creatures were saved by
^ ^ God full easily. Listen to the treasure of his
wondrous deeds, for creatures ignorant but devout*
A Bhil was taken to Kailasa, who hid himself in
the leaves of a tree ; a vulture was saved, because
it fanned him with its wings. A thief placed his

THE POWER OF GQD'S NAME 7^-

foot on a pinda, God. took pleasure in that act of
worship. Simple and tender of heart, says Tuk5,.
is our master.

2889

npH Y name was given to a bird, and thus Ganika..
^ was saved ; a procuress committed un-

numbered sins, but when she uttered thy name^
thou didst take pity on her,

2890

TJE will not suffer his care of us to dwindle; his
dignity he will maintain. Tuka says, He is-
the same within and without ; he embraces all that
embrace him.

2891

TT^HE birds have no store of grain, yet Narayana
•^ takes thought for them. The python lives in
an ant-hill, yet Narayana looks after him. The-
chataka drinks no water from the earth, yet the-
purple clouds rain for him. We men are but ants,
says Tuka, yet do thou fulfil our desires !

9TL~Cb( power of fiotf's Mine

2892

/^ANIKA was an adulteress ai^d a whore,.
^^ nevertheless she was devoted to Raghoba.
Sinful as she was, she was carried away in a vehi-
cle from heaven and given a place in eternity.
That thou art the Saviour of the Sinful is deeply
printed on the three worlds.

76 THE NATURE OF GOD

2893

npHE demon Shanka carried oflf the Vedas of
Bramha, therefore didst thou assume the
form of a fish. Did he not throw himself into a
trance, and thereby learn what had become of
"them? Still he called upon thee with joyful devo-
tion ; Narayana showed himself a sea of mercy.
'Says Tuka, O Vitthoba I lay hold of thy name ;
O come to visit me and protect me !

2894

TX^H Y dost thou debar thyself from the might of
, his name? Why dost thou forget these

famous tales ? The swords hacked and hewed the
body of Pralhada, but they made not the least im-
pression on it. He called on Rama, Kpsh^aand
Hari, and the burly demons trembled. Let the
power of these glorious deeds live on; Tuka's
longing is, O visit me !

2895

A VESSEL of poison was given to Pralhada,
■^^ yet thy strength set him free from fear. He
drank it down, but it passed on to Narayana; his
life was saved through thy valiant might. When
he contemplated thy name, the poison turned to
water in the presence of all. Tuka says, Such are
thy glorious deeds ; the chief of snakes was wearied
in reciting them.

2896

^RALHADA was thrown into the fire, but he
forgot not Govinda. He said to his father.

THE POWER OF GOD'S NAME 77

* All-pervading Hari, MtqrSti, dwells everywhere.*
The fire grew cool, says Tuka ; such Vitho, is thy
valiant might.

2897

npHE stomach in fever can digest nothing but
■■• an extract of herbs; when the sensies are
clouded, men are put in mind of NarSyana. This
uatpe alone will banish at once the fever of the
world; beyjpnd doubt it will sweep away all the
senses. With other remedies a strict diet is pre-
scribed ; there is a sharp and sudden pain, but the
cure is a matter of luck. Tuka says, I have open-
ed out the whole matter ; good fortune now stands-
waiting at your door.

2898

npHIS name of Vitthala will bring to light things
■^ secret and make things invisible manifest.
It will teach us to utter the unutterable, it will
bring before us the unattainable. If wei call t)vlt
^is name without ceasing, we shall receive in
abundance things ..beyond our reach. Tuka says^.
Those very souls that cling passionately to the^
world shall be saved by Vitthala's name.

2899

npHOUGH a man sin without ceasing, how will
"*• it harm him if Vifthala's name dwells with
him? As it is when firt catches a heap of grass,
so. bis sins will bum up in a moment. When we
look on the feet of Vishnu's image, how can the
actions of our past continue ? Tuka says, Where
the loud voice of Hari*s praise is heard, his nameh
bums up mountains of sin.

j^8 THE NATURE OF GOD

2900

17 YEN men defiled by countless sins, men un-
clean to the backbone, even such are purified
by Hari*s name ere a moment can pass. A man
fettered by foul lust, polluted by passion for a
chandala, he was taken to Vaikuntha the instant
he uttered Hari's name. The root of countless
sins came with power over Valmlka; by Hari'6
name he was made as pure as Ganges' water.
Lead not a life without Hari ; it is fair as an image
m a mirror; this is why Tuka seeks shelter at
Hari's feet.

2901

TF a man utters the name of Vitthoba continually,
even sinful men are saved at the sight of him ;
the breaks the teeth of time.

2902

1M[AK£ haste now to bethink you what is
•*• "^ essential and what inessential. By fixizig
•our thoughts on him we have crossed the stream
' of life wherein is no food. A man bom of mortal
family, if he remembers to utter ' Rama*, he makes
it a rule to repeat it day and night. Tuka says.
The millions of his families will be purified.

2903

T^AY and night are alike a season of war wiih
^^ us; within, without; war in the world, war

in the mind. Day and night unseen powers attack

us ; they are always advancing and always assault*
Ang us. Tuka says, In the might of thy name we

have blackened the faces of all of them.

OOD'S GENEROSITY AND CONDESCENSION 79

2904

*npHY name is like nectar; what need we lack
•■• that comes within its range ? If we imprison
it within our throats we have a cow of wishes
there. What mother cannot recognize her own
bsihy ? When she hears it cry, her milk streams
forth. A man who was never seen to beg feels
ashamed when he takes a gift. To preserve their
^ood name men have died on battle-fields; the
ihero will not turn back from the combat. Tuka
-says, While we sing him in songs we know him
best ; what desire have we to see Vitthoba in person.

{l111-6oa'$gmre$iiyMa cMdeiceiiiiMi

2905

XX E who dwells beyond the six scriptures, Shiri
**"■• Hari, the Self Supreme, he plays in the
house of Dasaratha, as Rama. The peculiar
object of Shiva's contemplation, the secret of
Valmlki, Shri Rama, he eats the Bhil woman's fruit.
He who dwells beyond the Yogis' contemplation,
he whispers in the monkeys' ears. He who tarries
not a moment for the salutations of the chief of
beings, he exchanges salutations with monkeys
and bears. Tuka bows at the feet of Rama, the
dark-hued, the embodied, the lotus-eyed.

2906

''TpHE book of omens gives you at once what
. you desire, in the form of a response, but

Vitthala gives you immediately cither milk or water.

80 THE NATURE OF GOD

What fruit is possible without good fortune, so long
as the mind is full of filth ? Tuka says, If your
store of merit is small, it will keep you miserable.

2907

/^REAT and endued with all attributes as he is>.
^^ he points out to us the road to Vaikuntha.
There is no pride in him; for his worshippers*,
sake he sits not down. There is neither sloth nor
sleep in him, says Tuka ; whenever you come, he
bestows his favour on you.

2908

T AM his servant who is free from all desire, free
^ alike from pleasure and pain. He stands
upright on the bank of the Bhima, with his hands
upon his hips. What wonder is it that he comes
when you call on him ; he runs to his worshipper
even when he does not remember him. Tuka
says, To him will I lift up my song.

2909

TJOW he runs like a famished man to wait-
closely on Pundalika! Narayana has for-
gotten his own dignity ! He stands with his hands
on his hips ; he does not even ask leave to sit down.
Tuka says, O Lord of the world, thou dost long
for devoted worshippers.

2910

npHE sight of him ravishes the mind; Tufcat
■*" says, To serve his worshippers he runs full
speedily, full of shame.

god's generosity and condescension 81

2911

IIXE serves men and endures harsh words; he
bears in mind what is good for them. Tuka
says, I play such games as I delight in.

2912

npHE magic gem has mines of jewels within it ;
"^^ come, enrich yourselves while this convenient
season lasts. There is here no need for debate ;
the truth or falsehood of this matter has been
decided. A platter that has been used you may
quietly lay aside; your host knows what your
intention is. Tuka says, This is no water doled
out in time of scarcity ; the fountain will supply-
as much as you wish.

2913

Parents take care of their children and
cherish them in the hope of gain. The king
of gods is not like them; he is compassionate in
his own nature. A mother beats her child when he
displeases her ; how many fathers beat them, says
Tuka, I cannot tell !

2914

\rERY merciful art thou, O Lord of the world;.
O Friend omnipotent in the three worlds !

2915

AXTHO asks a mother to love her child ? It is
^^ her infant that creates love in her. It
is the yearning of her heart that makes her protect
him. O thou that art dark as a cloud, we compare
thee to mortal parents, but we see that it adds no

:S2 THE NATURE OF GOD

grace to thee. The mother guards her child here on
earth, but in the next world she is not near him ;
not so is it with thee. O Infinite One, thou art
master of Time ! Tuka says, O Narayana, thy
compassion is greater than hers.

2916

npUKA says, Do even apes leave their young
behind them at home ?

2917

TF a man once follows God, he suffers him not to
retrace his steps. God dwells within him,
witnessing all his deeds, in a form appropriate to
his faith.

2918

/^OD assumes many disguises; the best of all his
^^ names is Panduranga. To the cowherd's
house he puts forward the name of Murari. Blest
in her good fortune is Yasoda ; Govinda dances
in her courtyard. He turns himself into a slave
of his slaves, so Tuka says to Vitthala.

2919

TT is reported in all the world that a temple was
turned round, that the milk in Namdeva's hand
was drunk up. A cheque drawn by Narsi Mehta
was cashed ; the fields of Dhanjijat were sown.
To save Mirabai, a cup of poison was drained ; he
turned himself into a Mahara messenger for
Damoji. He assisted at Kabira's loom in weaving
lace ; a potter's child he brought to life. Show me
now thy mercy, says Tuka, O king of Pandhari !

god's protecting love 83

2920

^TpHE offspring of a frog cried out Rama, Rama;
■*• he suffered not the water to grow hot. A
child was writhing in the boiling water ; Govind
came full speedily to him. He laid his command
on the fire : * thou shalt not burn up these young
creatures'. Tuka says, We rejoice to tell these
choice tales of his glory.

2921

^TpHE burden of our worldly cares you carry and
you enable us to carry ; O Infinite One, we
have none- but thee ! In the Gita, with beat of
drums, the word is proclaimed that God under-
takes to acquire and preserve for his worshippers.
He, the four-handed, adorns Arjuna's horses, and
acts as his charioteer. Through love of devotion
he assumed the part of an eater of corpses ; he
made Tuka a fixed star in the firmament.

IX — 6oa's ProkctiKg im

2922

UKA says, What recompense can the child
make ? How much indeed does he understand ?

2923

AXTORSHIP consists in loving intimacy ; all other

views are mistaken. These paradoxical

secrets, through error, we cannot comprehend. No

price is needed to pacify him ; he appreciates

84 THE NATURE OF GOD

loving words. Tuka says, Love must twine our
souls and his like threads together.

2924

T-TOWEVER badly a child speaks, his mother
•^ loves to hear him ; it is sweet to her because of
the love she bears her child, and for the same reason
she satisfies his childish longings. He nestles
in her bosom, and she bears willingly the thrusts
he gives her. Tuka prays to Panduranga ; his
case is like the child's.

2925

TN love for his son the father puts by a store,
■■• though he famishes himself to that end. He
puts a burden on his own arms and shoulders, and
soon he makes his son master of an estate. He
gladdens his eyes by putting ornaments on him,
and he displays the greatness of the store he has
made. Tuka says. He will not let any one else
vex him, he will risk his own life for him.

2926

XJE who implores has no capital but his own
•^ entreaties ; it rests with him who gives to
preserve his own good name. The child runs and
lies on his mother's lap to be suckled ; it is then for
his mother, of her kindness, to give him the breast.
Tuka says. Protect us as the tortoise protects its
young ; the threads of the puppets are in thy hand.

2927

IVE me my own ; I seek nothing new. As-
suming his form of a thousand names, this

GOD'S PROTECTING LOVE 85

exalted being champions his worshippers. If I
speak what cannot be proved, let me be chastised.
Tuka says, My real treasure is Vitthala.

2928

npHEY are a boat to carry across the sea of the
world those of great, those of small authority.
Let us tell the story of his deeds in Gokula. Tuka
says, Delight in him, for he shows mercy to men.

2929

A MOTHER'S steps are guided by her chil-
'^^ dren*s tricks ; her love makes her save them
from harm at the risk of her life. So powerful over
thee is thy love for the saints ; to thee I make my
entreaty. Thy mind is enchanted by love for men;
it is never for a moment forgetful of it. Tuka
says, A stream of love pours forth from thy breast.

2930

'TpHE yearnings of love are something that comes
"^ from the heart ; there is nothing like them.
A mother will not let her child cry much ; when he
is fretful, she is not slow to move. When her face
breaks into smiles, the child understands it. Tuka,
with all his ignorance, possesses this knowledge; he
is not like the run of men.

2931

npUKA says, When he hears piteous cries,
■"• Vitthala will not show himself slow.

86 THE NATURE OF GOD

2932

A CHILD may be unkind to his mother, yet stilt
"^^ she loves him. She forgets that she is weary :
she lifts him on her hip and lays his body against
hers. She weeps at his distress ; she is ready to
give away her life for him. She jumps up when
he calls her name, she flings away her life, says
Tuka.

2933

TXTHAT is there that God loves more than
^^ worshippers? Nothing else in the three
worlds. He loves not Vaikuntha nor the sea of
milk ; he seizes and stays in his worshippers' minds."
With all his heart he finds them altogether sweet ;
he accepts from them a tulsi-leaif with fond delight.
He says he has been sold to them altogether; he
attends to everything they say. Tuka says, He is a
slave to the bliss of devotion ; there is nothing else
that constrains him.

2934

Parents will not injure their own child or
see it injured in their presence. The father
knows the secret of doing good to his child.

2935

Che is a boat for the weary, a shade for the worn,
^ she feeds the hungry with the milk of her love.
She casts a kindly glance on all ; eagerly she waits
for them to embrace her. Tuka says, How can
there be left us any longer the weariness of pain of
unnumbered lives ?

god's dependen^ce on his worshippers 87v

2936

TF a widow has but an. only son, her thoughts
■ are with him day and night. Thou likewise
art all in all to me, forsake me not, O Vitthala I
All his father's purposes are centered in his beloved
son; a chaste wife thinks of nothing but her.
husband, says Tuka.

X.-6oa'$ aei^naence on DU worsMmri

2937

At thy own pleasure thou hast taken various
'^^ names ; them I contemplate because of the,
love I bear thee. God has grown mad, yes mad
in his eager desire for worship. He who is above
all longing longs; he stretches out his hand for a
leaf of tulsi. When once he grasps it, says Tuka,
he makes no resistance ; the key to all is in his feet*.

2938

TpHAT we fell into sin is thy good fortune ; we
'^ have bestowed name and form on thee^v
Had it not been we, who would have asked after
thee, when thou wast lonely and unembodied ? It
is the darkness that makes the light shine; the
setting that gives lustre to the gem. Disease
brought to light Dhanvantari ; why should a healthy
man wish to know him ? It is poison that confers
its value on nectar; gold and brass are high or
lowly compared with each other. Tuka says,
Know this, O God, that because we exist Godhead
has been conferred on you.

88 THE NATURE OF GOD

2939

TXT'HATEVER be the store of my merit, I will
^^ offer it you for a meal ; how can you refuse
to feed on it ? If you stay far from me, who can
save me from the whirl of error ? Tuka says,
Now I possess a power based on love; I shall
make the Infin^ite One do as I have said.

2940

npHY thoughts are directed to me, my hunger
and thirst are lodged in thee. My tongue
delights in one theme ; what else am I to speak of ?
With eager interest in me you stand looking for
sweetmeats. Tuka says, Truly what store from
the past can exist now ?

2941

T^OST thou lay the blame on us? It is not
"■"^^ right for thee to do so. Tell us this — why
didst thou give birth to us ? Did it not all depend
on thee ? Why dost thou keep us at a distance —
with this result, that thy own dignity is lowered ?
Tuka says. Thou shouldst ponder over these
questions.

2942

/^OME, lay thyself prostrate, O Narayana, to
^^ gain a blessing on thyself. When a son is
seated on the throne and rules the country, his father
lays his commands on his own head. Tuka says,
Position claims respect ; why then dost thou hesitate
now ?

GOD ACTS IN US THROUGH US 89

2943

'M'ARADA goes ever wandering about the three
^ worlds ; Govin^ wanders with him. Narada
chants sweet hymns; Govincja goes with him
along the road.

XT — 6oa acts in us m tbroNdD us

2944

TF we love truly, there is nothing left but love ; we
attain to what we pine after. By pulling the
string of love he leaves nothing of ourselves in us.
Tuka says, Good is contemplation ; it is true to the
true-hearted.

2945

T^AITH in God is God ; I have therefore confirmed
my trust in him. It is he who gives utterance
to my voice, for it is he who sustains the world. I
haviB put together letters, but it is not my own
intellect that suggests them. I have not toiled to
win the honour or deference of men. A few
fortunate people there are who will understand
this properly. It is a spring, says Tuka, which
has a true source within it.

2946

/^OUNTLESS fancies rise within my mind ; I
^^^ think of forsaking thy feet. Who is it but
you that sets our minds in motion ? Tell me even
one, O Narayana. Tuka says. You have begun to
play with me ; but when I cease to enjoy the
game, what will you do ?

90 THE NATURE OF GOD

2947

npHIS is why he has bestowed on men gifts good
and bad, that each may have something
appropriate to him ; such is the marvel accom-
plished by God. How great is his power ! He is
both the string and the hand that pulls it. Tuka
says, Our eyes are filled with smoke, but truth is
truth.

2948

"IXTHOSE controlling power is it that sets our
^ body in motion ? Who sets us speaking but
Hari ? Narayana alone puts the world before us and
makes us see it ; fail not to adore him. It is God
who creates in the mind the self-centered view
that it alone acts. It is God's power that shakes
the leaves of the trees ; where, then, is there room
for the self- centered view ? Tuka says, Vitho
pervades the world within and without ; what is
there that he possesses not in the animate and
inanimate worlds ?

2949

CUCH faith I have offered thee unreservedly ;
^ thou art all to me with all my heart. Knowest
thou not all that passes in the heart ? Yet thou
makest me speak because thou likest to hear me.
On thee is placed all my load to bear ; in this
matter what are words of mine worth ? Man's own
nature makes him seek his interest through self-
interest ; thou in thy wondrous doing dost choose
this impulse for thy own p\irpose. Thou knowest
well, O God, says Tuka, our innermost nature.

Cbe Problem of Jlction

L~CDe perplexing aspect of m woria

2950

npHOU dost create for thy amusement ; this is
all a diversion of thine. Yet between us,
mankind and thee, thou hast interposed the sense
of self. Hence evil spirits may enter this world,
and show or hide themselves at will. How long,
says Tuka, will thou torment us ?

2951

^yOU cannot bring into harmony the views that
God is one with us, and that he is other ; so
remember Narayana! This alone can make all
things perfect — union with the Unchanging, the
uttering of his name ; delight in him. The eddies
of sense come surging like robbers along* every
path ; they sweep along even such as have reached
the threshold of safety. Tuka says. Nothing but
this faith can carry you through ; this is the whole
secret.

2952

npHOU has set anger and lust to pursue me ;

I have been sorely troubled by them, O God !

These belong to thee, O God ; I am greatly amazed

that thou canst not control them. They may

92 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

amuse thee, but they cost us our souls; we are
always full of grief and fear. Tuka says, This is
the effect of our own destiny ; who would ridicule
thee, the All-Powerful One?

2953

TX^ITH such snares thou hast entangled us — ^as
thou shouldst not have done, O God ! This
flood has come upon us from afar and swept us
along with it. We do not understand what is
happening ; thou shouldst not shut thine eyes.
Tuka says, Let us embrace each other.

2954

TX^H AT a love of the world thou hast implanted
in us ! Thou hast given it us for a possession.
Thou art cruel, O God ! Thou wilt not make us
say * Enough of desire ! ' Thou seest us caught in
the chain of actions, but thou standest apart and
wilt not cut it short. Tuka says. In calling thee
mine I feel I have taken a burden upon me in vain.

2955

npHE body is carried on by the course of its
past ; this is deeply grievous to us. Run to
me, O Narayana, and wake me up ! Tuka says.
Whence do these experiences overtake us ? They
have no real existence ; they are a disease of
ourselves.

2956

TT is thou who settest in motion the activities of

pur mind, who hast made us fit for the business

of life. Yet, whatever happens, thou dost not take

the burden of it on thyself ; and whom, pray, am I

THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF ESCAPING OUR PAST 93

to call greater than thou ? The five elements are
like empty bags of leather ; what faith in them is
either warranted or unwarranted ? Tuka says,
There is no need for discussion here ; why should
we vex ourselves to no purpose ?

2957

f\ N ARAYAN A, if thou dost not come to set me
^-^ free, I cannot escape from the power of
Time. These words niay set me free ; what other
resource have I ? I have not yet filled up the
measure of actions done ; the obstacles in my path
will ruin me. Tuka says, My soul is full of dread ;
run swiftly in response to my prayers.

2958

^X7HY dost thou not show thy mercy towards
^ ^ me, that my mind may find peace in the
centre of all things ? Then neither good nor evil
would enter it ; it would attain the welcome con-
summation of peace. I am oppressed by the
mutations of the five elements ; the generous one
should protect me from these by making me insen-
sible to the world. Break the neck of my sense of
self, says Tuka.

TT.— the impossibility of escaping our past

2959

TT is not thy generosity that is to blame ; we
"■■ do not show thee whole-hearted faith. What
canst thou do, O God, with our karma? It is
impossible to deal with it, says Tuka.

94 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

2960

T OOK, O God, what mankind are like, each
differing according to his store of merit. No
one resembles another ; men show themselves pure
or base. In each, the five elements form a single
heap ; how the threads set them dancing ! Tuka
says, Each finds himself in a position corresponding
to his nature.

2961

TllT^HAT it is your purpose to do, will it not be
^ * done ? O listen to my stammering speech !
The power that suffers me not to live — if it kills
me, I may die ; yet there is still left the store of my
actions. Tuka says. All remedies have failed,
therefore I have remembered thy feet.

2962

npHE fields are flooded with water when the
-■' time comes ; there is no use in following any
other course. This is ordained by the Doer of all ;
the measure is filled to the brim with rules for
everything. Should the clouds pour down rain in
the cold or the hot weather, the rain poured out
will be waste of effort. Tuka says, Some grubs
live in poison and others in nectar ; if you change
their habitations they will not live.

2963

"Everything is in the power of fate working
^^ through our past; I must crave the pity
of fate. My mind has inspired me with this view;

THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF ESCAPING OUR PAST 95

and as long as I hold it, I shall acknowledge no
other God than luck. When we have done with
the grumbling complaints of the world, you will
come to seat yourself where the power of faith calls
you. Tuka says. We should set you there and
worship you ; we should attribute no other powers
to you.

2964

1^1^ Y parents are full of mercy, but my own
designs have severed me from them. This
was not because my store of merit led me astray ;
destiny unseen has been my close companion. I
am chafing now at my ignorance of thy secret,
though I know well the rules of religion. Tuka
says. He stands erect, he will not sit down ; he is
indeed our mother, and he is alarmed about us.

2965

T NEED not fear any one ; but you, O ye people,
are oppressed with dread. Tuka says, In what-
ever form the fruit of our past overtakes us, we
must accept it.

2966

/^OOD men do not discard their friends; but
^^ God has taken this view of others. Be it so ;
what force can prevail against him now? Our
own destiny is brought on us. Who can argue
against a man in high power ? Each must put up
with his own life. Tuka says, I make no complaint
against you, O God ; I have not served you with
my whole mind.

96 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

1T1 — notbing 1$ gained Dy tbe works
of tbe law or by ati$teritle$

2967

TX^E must first clear the road, then we can walk
^ * along it without getting caught in anything.
This principle of the wise and good has come down
from ancient times ; a traffic in guilt and merit is
full of snares. If you have to run, throw aside
your cloak; if you are encumbered you will be
caught. Tuka says. This is how to distinguish the
valiant; weak creatures are caught in the snares
of time.

2968

npHOUGH I made myself ceremonially purfe, some
"■" iriipurity would cling to me ; my rules about
taking or leaving, about words to be uttered, would
be principles merely which I should not practise.
So, at one step, I have surrendered my body to
thee ; now keep me at thy feet. In every ceremony
errors arise, a fruitful cause of sin ; the rope I
make is the source of death. Tuka says, It is thou
who settest in motion the universe ; why should I
feel any anxiety about it ?

2969

T AM well-off now where I am ; the generous one
has put me in my right place. If we take on to
our head the load of words, it grows heavier, and we
cannot lift it off. I shall accustom my mind
to silence; I shall not let qualities develop them-
selves in me. Tuka says, We shall live with the
cowherds ; I know well what keeps me safe.

OUR FAITH A REWARD OF MERIT 97

TU — Mr um « retwura of merit

2970

T^ELLr me now faithfully what I should do, O
God! ceremonial rites avail not to free us
from our karma ; they end in nothing but trouble
undergone. Tuka says, Do not try me to the-
last; give the gift of thy grace to him who begs-
for it.

2971

y^H Y do you ascribe so many reasons for this ?
^ ^ It is the ripening of my own store of merit..
Vitthala has rubbed the film of darkness from my
eyes, so that I see the world full of the joy of
Bramha. Tuka says, I have become a stranger to*
desire ; my delight dwells in Govin4a.

2972

npHE seed assures us of fruit if we take care of it
"■" and water it. If you take a bite at it through
greedy desire, the misadventure will end in a
piteous cry. This body of ours is but a narrow strip-
of land ; such sentiments ripen there as you sow ; if
you narrow your soul, you will compass nothing^
but lamentations. If a man buries his wealth
underground, and leads a life of wretched penury,
though happiness is next-door to him, his delusion^
makes him wretched. Tuka says. If a man loses
his bearings, he wanders away from the place
he wants to go to ; what I say in this matter is final,,
it is proven by experience.

•98 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

2973

^VTOU are wasting this precious life, which your
store of merit bestowed on you. After
waiting for the end of countless rebirths, a hunma
body you have received ; if you employ it to profit
yourself> you will serve your true interest. Fix
your thoughts then on Vitthala, to ensure your
hairiness. As men lay up a store of hoarded
treasure, so do you store up Narayana. Practise
devotion to Hari; it will much avail you in the
next world, it will save you from Yama. Tuka
says. Set a value on your life ; spend not your
voice save in uttering God's name.

2974

"^f OON LI GHT tx) thievdSy a virtuous ne^skhoof •
hood to wbores^ potsherds to tbe naagic
stone, all these are useless. You may throw
stones into boiling milk, but they will never grow
soft. Tuka says, If a man is duly prepared by
pist merits, then only will his mind be willing to
stay with the saints.

89T5

^\^H EN by choLia/ce the dwt from the saints* f e^t
touches U3, the seed of desire is btuTDed up
within us. Th€ird is bom in us then a delight in
the name of Ranoa ; our throat is choked 1^ love,
taars stream from our eyes i the form- of BSma,
shows itself in the heart* Tuka sftys^ Thisi measts
of attainment is ea^y to grasp and vary sw«k^» but
it is only revealed to the fully-otef itorious.

OUR FAITH A REWARD OF MERIT 99

297ft'

TpOR our sins in the past our body is punished ;
no blame rests on thee, O Narayana ! A man
:SOws bitter cummin seeds and looks for fruits
of nectar ; but how can plantains grow on the
swallow-wort ? Pleasure and pairi are the appointeTd
lot of the body ; a man should not throw away
knowledge. Tuka says, A man should not grow
angry with God ; he should ask his own mind
* What have I done ? '

2977

A S is the store of our past, such are the thoughts
^^^ that rise in our minds ; what we preach to
a man produces no effect on him. The treasiu^e
that each has laid up comes running to meet him ;
there is no need to counsel him. Though a man
hears counsel, his own qualities come to light ; his
destiny proves what they are, says Tuka.

2978

npHE wife of a young husband and the wile of
SHI old one were boso^ friends ; they were
-tsrlldia^ aver their lives together. ' My hushaod is
v6ry, very small ; he goes and plays with other boys.'
** Listen to my troul;>les, dear ; my husband is an
old man who goes about coughing. ' * He stays
out-of-doors and plavs till evening; I lie in bed
Wiaiting foiP him. ' Thef ff is something^ wroifg
with my p&st ; how dati I tell you my miseries ?
Whefi I approdfch hiifi to embrace him, he won't
let me com^ near hinfi ; he grows cross. ' This is all
the treasure of our t^^t^t, say^ Tuka ; haw can
xwe blame God ?

100 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

U — Keblrtbt tt$ cause and bow to escape it

2979

XIOW many times am I to be bom, to be always (

an object of scorn ? I have a load of actions
on my back, it will not let me step forward. Tuka.
says, Here is this scorn ready waiting for me.

2980

TJ[E who follows thia path lives for ever ; he^
escapes from the world. The servants of
Vishnu see no more rebirth. His power is over
the three worlds, he is now the saviour of poor
Tuka.

2981

T EAVING this portion of happiness, the foot
^ begs for Hberation. Why should we not
accept mortal birth, and plimder the love that
resides in his name ? Here we have curds and rice
given us ; there is no talk of this in Vaikuntha*-
Tuka says, I desire not absolute union with God.

2982

IF you delay your progress on the path, where
can you make up your loss afterwards ? If the
impressive shows of the world arrest you, then the-
pangs of rebirth will overtake you. Tuka says. If
jewels are alloyed with base metal, only the fire
can make them true gold again.

REBIRTH, ITS CAUSE, ETC. 101

2883

npHIS secret I missed, hence I was caught in
the chain of action. It pursues me closely
and destroys me ; it makes me pass through the
womb. Because we imagine 'Mine* and * Thine'
to be different, the tether of illusion is fastened
about our necks. Tuka says, I am made a beast
of burden ; I am frightened by tracks that have no
reality about them.

2984

T^^EN will never know how to drink a sweet
juice like this of Narayana. It heals the
disease of life, so that the pain thereof comes back
no more. No struggle is needed ; the disease
simply cannot dwell within your frame. A change
very swiftly passes over us ; we are absorbed into
God. The pain of birth and death ebbs away ; the
snare of the world is rent open. Tuka says, This
draught has shown its power in many cases.

2985

npHERE was a string of pots tied each by the
"■" neck to the revolving wheel ; then one vessel
was broken, and I became free from toil and
emancipated. The broken potsherd cannot keep
its place, or perform its exacted toil, or go round
in the circuit. Tuka says. How can the corpse
feel any joy or interest in the fire ?

2986

T AM content if this life is wasted, and I return to

birth again, since I stand before thee as thy

^rvant, in no hurry, free from fear. Whether I

102 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

have too little or enough, I leave the burden of this:
car^s to Panduranga. O mother Vitthala, wSy
need I look after myself? Wherever I go, in
accordance with my lot, I shall not forget thee,
O Cowherd ! By one stroke I have secured my
own welfare ; know ijow thy own O Nllrayan^a^
says Tuka-

29$7

1J[E is the begetter of my soul, the begetter in
gross of all soul^. In Janardana, the chain
.pf oxen's actions is brought to a close ; but with
Other gods, the mischief of error still goes on. If
we fail to keep our minds awake, we may confound
left with right. Tuka says, If you gut branches
^pd leaves from ^ tree^ though you sprinkle them
with w^ter, they will soon be d^d.

2988

npHE more I crave for objects of sense, the*
longer sojourn in the womb is my portion,,
the more there clings to me the sin of desiring the
nnres\l. Now, be things as they will, let rep^t0.iipe
^well ip me ; only let me get rid of * Mine ' and
Other's *. As long as w^ are awake, what ca» jt
fiream destroy ? When the words of men annoy us>
we should look OQ the pain they cau^e us as unreal^
An ^e is irritated by his iniage in a well; b^
jumps in there, but what does he find ? Tuka say3>
He breaks his head angl knees and elbows.

2989

'W/'HEN shall I see the d^y that will bring a
biessing on liicky aad lugkJass m^n alike ?

REBXRTH, ITS CAUSE, ETC. 103

In tbe last hour of life we may embrace bis f^et^
when we part hastily from our bodies. Let us fee
done with this chain of actions, this tangle we have
woven round ourselves ; my mind has grown
impatiieint, O God 1 At every step I take, I remem-
ber that countless disorders arise within us ; so my
soul trembles, and I cry vehemently to thee^
Thou must have heard my cry, says Tuka ; why
dost thou try me to the last ? ^

2990

TF they miss the. way^ he msk&s th^m find jit
'^ straight in froat of them ; thus Hari's servants
know not what it is to sojourn in tbe wcrniU
What do we know of past actions clinging to t^s ?
Tl»y are destroyed. Tuka says, I will ope^ my
eyes wide« I will feel no pangs«

2991

/^ MIND of mine, bury thyself in God's feet ; do
^■^ not stray abroad as the senses impel thee !
All happiness is centered there ; time and the cycle
of time cannot end it. The going, coming, and
running of rebirth will cease; we shall have no
mountains to cross. I have this only to tell thee,
Look on wealth and women as though they w«re
poison. Tuka says, We shall be grateful to you
if we cross the stream of the world.

2992

|)^ AN Y a soul was comforted by thee in earli^
days ; thou art the mother of the helpless.

104 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

Whomsoever thou receivest, he enters the world
no more. There is none so powerful as thou ;
none that, like thee, pervades the world. To thee
therefore I have surrendered my soul completely.
I have thrown my body into a trance and made
it useless.

2993

CiT still with devoted faith, and let not the world
. entangle your thoughts. Settle firmly the
king of Pandhari in your heart ; then further steps
will present themselves to you. Offer no worship
to any God ; no counting of beads, no penance, no
meditation. If you consider anything your own,
observe, you will not fail to be reborn. How
many times have you entered a body already ?
Why do you not recognize your opportunity now ?
Wake up and seize it, and learn what this joy is
like. What you can gain there is a secret easily
learned ; weigh it in the . scales in the light of
your own experience. Wake up, says Tuka, and
in this one life break off from you the fetters of
the world.

2994

TpHIS body became mine by pure accident;
what no means could accomplish has come
to pass. Now cut short my course of rebirth, give
wxe freedom from fear. A blind man may hit on
a treasure-trove behind his back, against all proba-
bility ; just so, this has come to pass. Tuka says,
It was a welcome chance ; now, O God, I shall
quit thy side no more.

REBIRTH, ITS CAUSE, ETC. 105

2995

T ET there dwell in my mind love and the assur*
^^ ance, that in sleeping, waking, arid dreaming
I am one with Vitthala. I ask for nothing else,
neither royal power nor wealth. Bestow thy lov^
upon nie so that I may see thee everywhere ; let
the experience of my mind never be shut up within
itself. Cut down at the root the evil done by us itf
birth and death. My body undergoes a change at
the sight of thee ; it is crammed with the principle
of all life ; individuality is crushed, I am saved by
meditating on thee. Possessing this faith, says
Tuka, we find thy name sufficient for us. Birth
after birth is welcome to overtake us, whatever
station it place us in.

2996

npHIS is a good old deity, simple and trustful,
"■" such as his worshippers have made' him by
their faith ; so we his worshippers fear not to pass
through the womb and enter the world. Tuka
says. We have secured the company of God, and
we never neglect one another.

2997

npHE musk-melon when ripe loses its bitterness ;
^ so has Panduranga done with us. Lust and
wrath have subsided into their own places; the
whole world is full of joy. Memory and forgetful-
ness, faith and doubt are all gone ; we have become
Panduranga himself. Tuka says. Good Fortune
is what we must call this ; for the sake of this we
ought to accept rebirth.

I
106 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

2998

^^UR seed of life is like a parched and puifed-up
^^ grain ; we have no birth or death before us.
What room is there for concrete shape in us ?
Our body is turned manifestly into God. The
9Ugar-cane springs not from dry sugar*; bow can
we pass into the womb again ? Tuka says» We
have conquered all our appetites; we see Pandu-
ranga in all vessels.

2999

As a loving wife holds her husband dear; as a
r^ blue- jay longs for the moon; with such. a
love, if I embrace the feet of Vitthala, I need
never pass through the womb again. As a famine-
stricken man delights in a meal, or a thirsty man
in water, or a lover in his paramour, with such a
passion, says Tuka, should you seek Panduranga ;
he will carry you tq the further shore,

3000

T^HE senses will profit you nothing; make haste
to utter with your tongue Rama's name.
Good health is not your own possession; it is
idle, it is futile, it is a, shadow of the illusive world.
Tuka says, The essence of our life is the utterance
of Hart's name ; apart from Hari, there is nothing
but birth and rebirth.

3001

* * • *

npWENTY. lakhs of rebirths you must pass in

^ plants ; nine lakhs in creatures of the water ;

eleven lakhs in insects ; ten lakhs in birds ; thirty

THE SENSE OF SIN 107

teU3£ in b«ists ; four lakhs in human form ; a crore
of tinj0S ypu return to each womb, then ^e.wind
of manhood will blow upon you. Only then, saye
Tuka, does man attain a man's body ; he is a fool
if he wastes it.

UT — Cfte ttm of sin

3002

T AM caught and imprisoned by the five elements ;
'*■ I am fast bound by the sense of self. I have
tied my own neck, not knowing all the time that I
was free. Why did I imagine this world was resd ?
Why did I look on 'Mine* as true? I lusted
after a small portion of pleasure; in the end, I
brought destruction on myself. Let me now sacri*
fice my body, says Tuka ; let me bum up the
ttore of my past.

3003

A WORN-OUT ox is belaboured because it will
"^^ not rise from the spot when it lies down.
Even so obstinate is my mind ; run to me ; I al^or
this spirit of self-will ! If a man leaps down a preci*
pice in fear of a pursuer, be knows not whether he
will live or die. Tuka says, Such an affliction ai
tbi$ dp I $nffi^r ; I caU upon Panduranga.

3004

T AM no^ truly thy servant, though I call roy«elf
* such ; this is merely a shift contrived for some
POf^Oftt. What duty really requires from you^

108 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

consider for yourself. As for me, my conduct is not
pure; but I fix my thoughts on Jais feet. O
Fanduranga, says Tuka, knowest thou not this ?

3005

1^* Y eyes are opened ; I shall know what happi-
ness is like when thou givest it me ; Tuka
:says, I realize this while my soul is severed from
thee, O God.

3006

npHE right has been given, but the mind cannot
"*■ profit by it ; the attributes that envelop the
mind war against it ; lust, anger, arrogance, jealousy,
selfishness, fault-finding, dislike, utter folly, and
greed. These heavy forces of the senses roam
about like thieves, seeking to dig or break into
houses. Against them all efforts of mine fail ; the
secret of success thou alone knowest. Now then,
says Tuka, I shall take such steps as will lead me
to thy feet.

3007

T HAVE placed my capital in the power of the
"*• false, so my business must end in a loss. How
then, with what face must I expect to look on thee ?
I find myself a prisoner in the womb. I am dyed
with the hue of objects dug from the four mines,
through consorting with good and bad. Vexations
from many sources have changed me much ; the
course of time has deeply dyed me. I can no more
undo the folds that envelop me, so as to show
what is within. Transform me, therefore, says

THE SENSE OF SIN 109^

Tuka, by placing me near thee; make a little
cowherd of me, O God !

3008

A RE those few whom you saved in ancient
days, who were lost souls like myself ^
While I am praising thee, can sin dwell in me ?
What strength can it ^till possess ? Tuka says.
Thou didst make stones float in the sea ; I am a&
heavy as they, O God !

3009

T OBEY your injimctions, nevertheless I amr
much afraid of you. So I make your feet my
familiar friends ; I do not ask to sit beside you.
With folded hands, I stand waiting before you^
Tuka says, O ye Saints, I am a sinful man.

3010

AXTHAT prayer can I put up ? Who will decide
^ ^ that what I say has found favour ? O Store
of Grace, I can form no inference concerning this*
Most piteous cries have I uttered ; no answer have
I heard. Up till now, I felt sure that some of my
service had been accepted. Tuka says, Now^
nothing but the struggle is left me ; I see no sign
of assurance in him who stands hand on hip.

3011

TM[ Y writings are blackened with shame, for thou

givest me no peace of mind. How can I

feel joyful when no words are uttered ? There is na

pleasure in a meeting if no love is expressed at it^

110 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

If A man turns his eJbow to another when he
meets him, it is easy to see ther0 is but a shred of
love left them. What powers I had, I have spent;
now I have no skill to act or devise. Mighty art
thou, O God, says Tuka ; how can the service of a
weak man reach thee ?

3012

T HAVE not risen into notice at thy feet ; thou

dost not even ask where I am gone. Why

should I lead a life of worldly cares ? Hitherto

I have been a burden on the earth. Tuka says,

Lord of Pandhari, the disease of life is an oveK-
pQwefing torment*

3013

^1X7 HAT has brought about this distance between
^^ us ? Tuka says. Some suggestion of a cause
has crossed my mind.

9014

T AM ruined by sloth ; I am sorely oppressed by

desire* They have stolen from my mouth the

utterance of thy name ; whereas once I was near,

1 am now far removed from thee. How was it
tha^t I fell into this dual conception, that drags nie
farther and farther from thee ? Tuka says,. Now
let God take me to himself and set me free.

3015

/JL LL the past will be forgotten, the resiles
'^^ grief we suffered. In this critical hour,
unite us to each other ; our minds will find repose
at thy feet. I have mad'e myself worthlerss' fty

THE SENSE OF SIN 111

serving the body ; thus I can see no truth in thee.
Tiika sajrs, Show thy generosity ; I am ready, with
full attention, to receive thy gift.

3016

T HAVE ceased to form any views of my own.
False assumptions and regard for honour
destroy all the plans I had settled. Tuka says, I
might be upset in less than a moment ; protect me
O God !

3017

T KNOW not how to worship or serve thee ; I stand
before thee constrained by fear. I have lost
my bearings ; I make a circuit round myself ; I am
wearied out by error. Tuka says, I observe thy
commands ; I have set my soul in one spot.

3018

np^HERE ccmtinues not witinn my heart a single
motion towards thee ; I remember thee not,
but forget thee. What amazement this experience
brings with it, I have my own mind to testify to
this. Though I admonish my mind, it will not
repose ; how can I control it from moment to
moment ? Tuka says. Too many transactions of
life I have taken part in ; my soul is deeply dyed
witk tlSKeiii; haupe.

301^

"I^Y soul is hdd fast by the oppression of desir«,

rfegrets of many kinds are present ia my

mj0d. Like a pressed lafaourec, I see ma knit

of my toil ; I am stiff and cramped by &e cold.

112 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

Tuka says, I have no influence at thy feet ; my
sins are overpowering and keep me from meeting
thee.

3020

CUCH is the rule ; forget it not, O Panduranga I
^ Though I kept my mind from wavering, still
it is full of fear ; it is subject to joy a^d grief.
Tuka says, Your decision will be plain ; it was
your glorious fame that made me desire to die you.

3021

CUCH is my experience which has been with me
^ all my life. Desire has been close at my
back ; nothing can still it. I do not know where
to go, nor any means to dismiss it. Tuka says, It
bears a million pangs within it.

3022

XJOW can we reach our aim? Our desires
''• increase our sufferings. What can we do as
long as these dwell with us ? What we ought to
long for is thou, Panduranga. I have no delight in
thy form ; I break my heart with desires. Tuka
is not carried away by my any outward splendour.

3023

T HAVE crosse4 over mountains of grief ; but I
•^ have found my true welfare at your feet alone.
We are annoyed by the sight of rotten fruit ; we
feel the difficulty of a difficult path. I know I am
not forsaken, but I feel despondent ; the day I am
looking forward to does not arrive. Good fortune
is with thee, O God, says Tuka ; thou art the only
refuge for my soul.

THE SENSE OF SIN 113

3024

^ I ^HOU wilt help us of thine own free will ; why
should I entreat thee in this way ? My
prayer for mercy is still unanswered ; my soul is
still a soul apart from thee. How can the seed
sprout unbidden, without the warmth of parental
love ? Tuka says, I will mortify my body, if this
entreaty will make thee approach me.

3025

ATITHY have I lived on, a mere burden on the
^ ^ earth ? I have found no shelter at thy feet.
What use are my eyes to me ? 'Twere better that
I lost them ; they see not the Supreme. What is
my mouth but a burrow or den of wild beasts, if it
utters not thy name continually ? Tuka says. The
virtuous soul cannot live for a moment without
Panduranga.

3026

"IXTE have proclaimed to the world that we ar.e
, * thy servants; it will not be right for thee
now to forsake us. Who would care to enquire into
my merits ? Thy name is Purifier of the Sinful.
We are fast boimd by greed and error, but who, O
Infinite One, is responsible for this ? Tuka says.
Truly I am a sinful man, but I seek shelter in thee.

3027

r\)l7'HY do sins cross my pathy though I have

^ ^ oflfered thee my sense of self ? O Pandu-

ranga, gracious and merciful, thou wilt have power

tQ.contrcil all this! Why should any others have

ai.4 THR PROBLEM OF ACTION

power to control us, as long as we are near thee ?
Tuka says, I have told my tale at thy feet ; bestow
on irie.a gift that is fit for me; thou hast ihe
power.

3028

HAT sort of line has he written on my fore-
head ? There is no escape from this misery.

3029

T HAVE surrendered my body to thee, yet I still
entertain fears. Well I know I have made
this blunder, that destroys the confidence I felt.
Dolt that I am, I experience not within me what I
describe. Thou oughtest to punish me well, O
Vitthala !

3030

T AM nothing but a heap of all sins; thou art
altogether the best of all beings. Even as I
am, receive me ; thou hast to bear all my burdens.
Time has swallowed me up altogether; but thou
hast all power within thyself. Tuka says, I have
•ceased now to take any steps for myself ; thy feet
are everything to me.

3031

\X^H AT can I do now to this mind of mine ? In
spite of all my prayers it will not stand still ;
it behaves to me courteously, yet it seeks to drag
me down to hell. Run to me, O Hari ; I can see
none likely to restrain it save tiiou. It will not
stand still one moment; it scatters my attention
violently. , It is full of eddies of sensual pleasure i

THE SENSE OF SIN llS

lit is bent on plunging into the sea of the world.
Hopes and projects are full of sin ; they have ruined
me altogether. Tuka says, O Bearer of the Disc,
why dost thou still delay ?

3032

TLLUSION has beaten him sorely, yet there is
no scar upon his skin ; pain of mind, however,
sets his hair on end. He can find no opportunity
to escape from its power ; he cannot speak, he is
gagged. No help can reach him; he can find no
point of vantage to attack it from ; no clue to track
it by. In his fear of it, he smears his body with
ashes; but it afflicts him with violent disorders.
Tuka says. Desire assaults all men in the rear ; it
will not suffer them to cry to God.

3033

XJOW can I win the favour of the saints ? How
can I remember God*s names ? This is my
anxious thought; when I lie down to sleep I cannot
•close my eyes. When I take my meals, I find no
food sweet or wholesome ; I feel the pleasures of
the senses a burden.

3034

T AM troubled sorely by fear ; the world will
terrify me by telling me things I have never
heard from the saints. The servants of Vishnu^
they will say, have no path to salvation ; all their
trouble is in vain. They will scorn me for singing
thy praises ; how can I express the misery I shall
feel ? I am cast down, says Tuka ; how shall I
meet this occasion,. O PSnduranga ? :

116 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3035

COMETHING has stolen from us the utterance^
of his name ; we once were near him, now we
have drifted away from him. How have we fallen
into the power of this view, — that God is other
than we ? These forces drag us hither and thither-
Indolence has stripped my mind naked, my
cravings have much tormented me. Tuka says».
Be with me now, O God, and keep me safe.

un — KepTMcbei <nd cMletigei to 6oa

3036

T PERCEIVE thou hast forgotten me; why
should I live longer ? What canst thou do with
the store of my past? My life is now a curse tp
me. I heard thy name, thy established fame, as
Saviour of the Sinful, therefore I hoped on ; now I
have found thee pitiless. I have lost all hope, says
Tuka ; for thy sake I shall destroy myself.

3037

TX^HEN time justifies it, thou takest thy gift,
back ; as though a donor knew not what lay
just in front of him! Tuka says, I am already one
destined to die; why dost thou make thyself to-
blame for it ?

3038

HPHE Puranas are ashamed; the Veda grows^
feeble; T^e who hold .by thy. name. look.

REPROACHES AND CHALLENGES TO GOD 117

wretched and pitiable. The words of the Saints
are wasted. Thus, says Tuka, thy service is openly
Tjrought to nought.

3039

T^^EN set up drinking-places in compassion for
^ ^ the poor ; why dost not thou, O Panduranga»
likewise build a boat for us ? Men give medicine
to the sick, and ease their pain ; they leap into the
water to save the drowning ; they clear thorns off
the road for those that follow them ; they bear the
burdens of the weary, says Tuka.

3040

T[ AM amazed that any misery should overtake
him who has thy name in his mouth. How
can I tell ? Perchance thou mayest fall asleep ;
I know not, O Vitthala ! It is thou who must
break the snares of the world ; why hast thou neg-
lected this ? I am shocked, says Tuka ; it would
.seem that I have troubled myself in vain.

3041

A SER VANT-should do the work appointed him;
'^^ that the seal on his orders should stand for
righteousness, the master must take care. I know
not if thou has lost all stoutness of heart ; it seems
^hbii ^ast grown feeble^ That might, which should
tiave filled us thy servants with strength, thou
^emest at- this season- to have renounced. « Sefid
speedily, says Tuk5, a messenger to call n*e, 'or tlffl
<nae what I ihufet dou „ ' - ' - ^- - - ' --

118 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3042

f\ GOD, thou forgettest why we have burned up*
^^ the world. I know not why thou hast thus-
cast me down, crushing my love towards thee. I
have offered thee my body ; art thou not ashamed
to count me a pollution ? Tuka says, For whose
sake have I cast away all desire, and wander about
indifferent to the world ?

3043

T HAVE placed no demand before thee ; yet thou
art troubled for fear I should worry thee. Do^
not think, however, that any device will save thee-
f rom my importunities. I cannot bear to be parted
from thee now; it would be death to me to quit
thy feet. Tuka says. What I ask thee for now
is a dwelling-place at thy feet.

3044

\\/ E are sinful, thou art the Purifier; know that
^ * this truth is descended from the past. We
must not make out the old to be new; let e^ch
keep its own province. We must take all needful
steps to preserve the spot we have inherited*^
Tuka cries aloud and compels God to listen.

3045

"DE without form to those who would have thee
- such ; we love to see thee in thy own true
form. Can a baby be treated like a boy that has^
grown to knowledge ? Can he be kept at a dis-
tance ? When men are eagerly bent on salvatioQ>

REPROACHES AND CHALLENGES tO CJOD f f ^

thou keepest circling round them elusively ; when
they are mad after knowledge, thou tantalises!
them. Tuka says, Where canst thou find a chance
to banish from thee my devotion ?

3046

'ITl^HEN I behold thee, I shall begin to serve
' ^ ^ thee ; naught else, O God, do I need. As to
food and clothes, they depend on my past ; but do
thou steady my mind and set it at thy feet, My
mind is so tortured by the world that I am drawn
to thee ; I delight in thy name and form. What I
Hast thou no capital, that my words must needs be
wasted ? When the magic stone touches iron and
turns it into gold, does it take account of the merits
6f the iron ? Tuka says. Consider not what I am ;
vindicate thine own name.

3047

XT NOW you not what is in my mind ? Yet this
is your pleasure, O Narayana, — that answers
to* you should ever grow in numbers, that your
worshippers should put thee to shame, that they
should always be grumbling. When have good
words been wasted? A child loves toys, says
Tuka.

3048

IL^^HEN will the promptings of my mind be
justified ? Quite lame am I ; canst thou not
gee this ?

120 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3049

/k LL my entreaties have been wasted ; I am
. still left full of trouble. What consolation
has he given me ; what longings of mine has he
satisfied ? I am sorely dejected, for I have not,
even asleep, seen him in a vision ; how then can he
have spoken out to me directly? Be ashamed
henceforth, O Panduranga, that worshippers aban-
doned like me have lived in the world. Tuka
says, I have no confidence left f I feel that thou
hast given me up.

ao50

TT is in thy power to make a moimtain into a
grain of mustard-seed, ere one eyelid can meet
the other. Whence then, says Tuka, this delay in
saving a poor gnat like nie ?

3051

T AM sure thou never hadst a baby of thine own ;
tell me why thou disappointedst me. If thou
knewest already that I was a sinner, why didst
thou shelter me at thy feet ? I am the branded
slave of Hari, so no difference should be made
between me and others in the row of saints. Tuka
says, We have unquestionably won the victory; it
is thy part now to make up our shortcomings:.

3052

TN whatever station thou shalt cause ; me to be

born, I will pever give up thy name. I shall

pass on to thee pleasure and pain, as I experience

REPROACHES AND CHALLENGES TO GOD 121

them ; then why need I suffer any anxious care ?
Even though I have to sojourn in the womb, I
^hall call myself thy branded slave, O Vitthala !
Why need I entreat thee to save me ? Thou wilt
thyself be brought low ; for this reason thou wilt
save us, says Tuka.

3053

T AM amazed that thou art not bold enough ; as
for me, my soul issues forth from me, crying-,
Come ! Come ! Somehow, the whole world seems
to me desolate without thee. Why, O Panduranga,
dost thou not listen to me ?

3054

'^'OW I will finish off everything at one meal ; I
^ will have done with continual requests. Make
my last mouthful sweet, O Panduranga, mother
mine. Practise no sort of deception on us now ; thy
little ones are grown up. Tuka says. Thou must not
tease us now ; I shall not leave one dish unfinished.

3055

^IXTH I LE we do not comprehend thee^ thou may est
. ^ very well deceive us ; but afterwards, what
js the good of turning thy back on us ? I have
caught thee now^ thou mast let me have my tum^
when thou art found, this mood of faith follows;
While I kept my eyes shut, thou wert far from me ;
now I have caught sight of thee, and I gaze on
4hee steadily. Tuka says, it iis thy habit to say
'':N6 ' ; but.Iam no common beggar. ^

122 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3056

'T^HERE are many led astray by errors; they
torment their own bodies. No confidence caa
be placed in their talk ; I gird up my loins to utter
thy name. With a single impulse I have steadied
my own soul ; the responsibility for all is thine..
Do not let thy own branded cattle be hurt ; do as
seems best to thee. Tuka says, How often must
I implore thee ? Perchance Narayana will grow
angry.

3067

TXTE say, there is no one to prevent thee from
^ ' coming to us ; it seems thou art afraid. It
must be my own fate that has turned thee back ;
though thou sustainest the universe, thou hast no-
•power to control fate. We put full trust in tbee^
we often cry out thy name. Tuka says, The five
elements have entrapped me and laid me on the
threshing-floor.

3058

"IXT'HEN a child's mother is dead, who asks after
* his welfare ? Who cares for orphans ? Be-
assured, this is the common course of things.
When good luck meets with good luck, people
look on with interest and admiration. Tuka says^
As long as we are near God, we are like gods
ourselves.

3059

HAT is left between us now that is fit for me
to celebrate ? I have hardened my rnind^

REPROACHES AND CHALLENGES TO GOD 125

though I have not found peace. We may all waste
away at home, even as we waste away with thee,
Tuka says, Let us roll up thy divinity and lay it
aside.

3060

"PlVE times did I call thee, yea seven ; why was
no message or greeting sent me ? I know not
why Narayana has so hardened his heart ; I can
hit on nothing that will please him. I cannot tell^
says Tuka, whether the fruit that grows within
him is sweet or bitter.

3061

XXTH Y was this worldly fame of mine fostered, —
^ why not brought to a definite end ? My spirit

would have escaped these restless pangs ; I should
have known their cause. Tuka says. You must
make some definite decision ; reticence in the
physician is death to the patient.

3062

T^O promptly now what thou wilt; there is-
no distance left between us now. If we are
each to bestow words and glances on the other,
why needest thou call in any witness to prove we
have done so ? Tuka says, I have complained to-
thee till I am dying ; this is now plain to thee.

3063

T OUGHT not to speak to thee in hard terms ;
but a child is wont to show too familiar presump-
tion. Thou must pardon any offence that has beeik

124 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

-given thee ; teach us better, O thou who art best of
alL A child will run to take hold of a flame ; he does
iiot know that he will be burnt ; his mother must
drag him back from it. Tuka says, The mother
who bears the child must pass the after -birth also ;
this thou knowest well, O God.

3064

TF the child of wealthy parents go about in rags,
whom will people laugh at? The rich and
powerful feel ashamed for their name's sake ; they
take thought for those that seek their protection.
If thou meanest to do anything that is right, then
5ave this fallen wretch, Tuka.

3066

T COME before thee, with my loins girt up, to urge
■ by force my request. Send me back with the
gift of thy love, repaying the debt of thy service;
Show thyself wise ; let the world know nothing
about it. Tuka says, I hold thy feet fast ; what
else is there for me to do ?

3066

T AM no mere slave of desire, that thou shouldst
. have made me look eagerly for a gift from
thee. Thou canst well discern the heart ;^ thou
shouldst deal with me fairly. Since thou hast
once formed a design, to check it would be sinful;
we call this violation of a purpose. Tuka says, .1
•dannot bear to be tormented thus ; when food
is once cooked, it is waste of labour to keep it
4kHUng'On the^re* : ■ ' .- . ^ . :

KEPROACHJES AND CHALLENGES TO GOD 125

3067

TF he is too niggardly to give away butter-
milk, is it likely he will spread us a feast ?
His conduct shows that he means nothing. What
expense did I fetter thee with? How have I
caused thee any embarrassment ? Nothing shalt
cling to my body but thy service ; such is my^
fixed resolution. Tuka says, To vindicate thy
name, take up thy work after my precedent.

3068

Y117HERE I have fixed my gaze, there my mind.
^^ is closely bound up. If thou findest this^
oppressive, banish me from thee ; if thy food is
polluted it may make thee vomit. I am amazed
that thou shouldst find thyself in dijSiculties over
anything of this kind. Tuka says. Raise thy
hand at once if thou wilt ; I will proclaim thy^
fame.

3069

AX^H Y is not the goodness of God brought home^
to us by experience ? What delay is there
on thy side ? What I ask for seems to be near
thee ; if I set up a quarrel with thee, what shall h
gain by it ? I shall not abandon the respectful
demeanour of a servant ; I will follow constantly,
the course thou hast laid down f cm: me. ' Tuka
says,: Thou hast Withdrawn thy hand from every
pledge; hut there- is no ~ new purpose in mje
il)U[ld»- :. - . 1 / . -■ _ :. ' j

126 THE PROBLEM OE ACTION

3070

Cay, if thou wilt, I am a foolish man, but
say something O Narayana. 1 have fol-
lowed this line of conduct to force thee to speak
somewhat. Let me but induce thee to assume
a visible shape ; be angry then if thou wilt. I am
fully conscious of what I want ; but the time is
passing, says Tuka.

3071

\X^HERE, O God, did I go about to bring
^ ^ pressure on thee, to make thee lose thy true
character, and waste thy principal ? It is. but
a poor man that prays to thee, yet thou hast
prepared thyself to ruin him. I have heard of no
■case like this, says Tuka.

3072

TN time to come thou shouldst serve up new
dishes to us ; one by itself is not tasty enough.
When a woman puts on a new ornament,, her body
is commended ; one change should follow another
visibly and quickly. When service makes the
servant look more handsome, the master*s fame
is spread in the three worlds. Tuka says. Fill me
with joy to-day; I will sound thy praises and
<lance before thee.

3073

TF I am singly devoted to things of the world, to

whom will they be devoted ? Give this point

your consideration. You have materials within

yourself to think over ; the features of the imaigQ

31EPROACHES AND CHALLENGES TO GOD 127

reflected resemble those of the original. If the
omen is auspicious, its result is auspicious; the
Experience of the present forecasts the future.
Tuka says, So far as I remember you, so far shall
I be able to fix my faith on your feet.

3074

'CiNCE thou hast made my life dependent on
others, what fault in me has made thee
abandon me ? I pray to thee earnestly, yet no
room is made for me ; it is not right thus to shut
me out. Tuka says. Why didst thou originally
give birth to so many children ? Why dost thou
forget this, O Panduranga ?

3075

A S long as I was ignorant, I raised no such cry
as this; but now I have found the true path.
If the child of a rich man cries out for pity, what
sort of treatment will people think he receives?
Tuka says. We have loudly proclaimed thy
praises; but in the daily course of our lives we
are parted from thee.

3076

^ I^HIS was no time for thee to shun the dis-
tressed. I knownot why thou boldest not forth
thy hand; how canst thou bear to see me weep<^
ing ? - Thou showest us a hope, and then runnest
from . us, so that we cannot catch thee« TykS
says, -TlK>ugh we run after thee, our earnest desire
is not satisfied. ., . - :

128 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3077

* ■ >

.^^^HY should we lengthen out this business ?
You should explain things to me in my owi>
house. What a huge entanglement this is ! You.
have made much of little. I shall lay my head at
your feet; what will this cost you? This will
free me, be assured, from debts due by or to me.
Since the decision rests with you, why should we-
bring disgrace on ourselves ? Thus the knot that
bound us is untied. Tuka says. It is pleasant to
come to a decision ; when I see thee face to facej^
my delight in thee will much increase.

3078

T CANNOT believe, O Cowherd, that you will
make it your rule to let your hair fall in disorder
bn your forehead and turn away from beggars. I
cannot believe that God will follow a new course
alike this. Tuka says. There never was any such
deliay as this, O Vitthala.

3079

I3E: it due to my destiny, or that things are at an
rr end with me, I know not; though I. stand
waitiiag at the . door, no voice comes forth ta
me. What would it cost him to speak? He is a
sluggard by nature, a sluggard from his earliest
days.- . Tuka., says,. How. can I . show him , my:
reverence in future ? .',':. j .3 j:

REPROACHES AND CHALLENGES TO GOD 129

3080

Come countenance he ought to show us, else
^ how can we put any confidence in him ?
Though I call myself his slave, how can I pass as
such, unless my master looks on me face to face ?
Whom can I hold responsible for the days
I have wasted, the days I have spent heedlessly ?
Till you show some purpose of your own, O God,
says Tuka, I pray you, accept not my service.

3081

T^HE bliss of devotion I have not yet attained;
"^ I would fain see thy face with my own eyes.
O Narayana, knowest thou not this desire of
my heart ? Thou hidest a sweetmeat in one hand,
and showest thy child the other empty ; thy maj-
esty is not comely to behold so long as there goes
not with it love for thy offspring. Even as a
child, though he has sense, shows himself forward
to his mother, so is it with me, O Panduranga, says
Tuka.

3082

npHOU hast many to save and I have no
■^ refuge except thee. Bear thy task as best
thou mayest ; what else is there for thee to do ? It
will not look well if thou givest one of the row food
and spurnest another. Tuka urges thee vehe-
mently ; thou hast too long forgotten him.

3083

XJOW strong is the sense of self within me, if
thou art not able to remove it ! If this is so,

130 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

who would fall at thy feet ? Why art thou so
niggardly of compassion ? Is thy wealth wasted
thereby? Tuka says, God ought to carry the bags
of Self that belong to other men.

3084

npHIS shows your bag is empty ; you are strip-
"*• ped of everything, O Panduranga ! I have a
full warehouse of my own at home ; keep your own
indifference to yourself ! Tell me now, what have
you left ? I have brought you before all the world,
•to be my witness what I have done to you. Tuka
says, Where will you look for your property ? I am
iyour master now.

3085

1^" Y mind is drawn to protect you ; I have for-
•^ "■■ gotten myself. You must pay back what you
have borrowed, neither more nor less. In my
love for you, I renounced all my connections; I
took my share of worldly censure. Even as my
soul is drawn towards you, so on your side must
the same disposition be seen.

3086

T AM treated with contempt ; what have I to do
with names or forms ? No honour is shown to
me, no message is sent for me. Taking thee to
be my father and mother, I approached thee fami-
liarly ; but I found thou hast many relatives in the
world. Tuka says, Now I will fold my hands and
throw myself on the ground here where I am.

REPROACHES AND CHALLENGES TO GOD 131

3087

T HAVE long been patient ; thou payest no heed
to this, O Vitthala ! Now I will seize thee by the
hem of thy skirt; I will make myself thy peer.
I am reckless of my life ; I stand up to encounter
thee. Tuka begs the saints to tell this to the
Lord of Pandhari.

3088

"VXTHO has served thee for salvation and has not
^ ^ received some proof of thy power ? Tell
me this, O generous Lord. This devotion to thee
is aij inheritance from generation to generation
in my family. Who has not entreated thee for
something else than knowledge of Bramha ?
Whose fond desires has thou not satisfied ? Whom,
in ancient days, didst thou delay to save ? Tuka
«ays, Why art thou changed ? Do I say anything
without good evidence ?

3089

TF I knew the secret, I should not feel this weary
pain. Our burden was on thy head ; what
error could we make ? Hadst thou set us free from
fear, our spirit would have been at rest. For
something of this kind I am waiting, says Tuka ;
I stand upright.

3090

T HAVE no sense of self left, or of my place as
distinct from thine. Henceforth, O God, take
thou good care of me, while I am with thee.
Tuka says. If a wife has no clothes to wear, it will
bring shame on her husband.

132 ^ THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3091

IJOW can a child petitioning endure this harsh
•*■ „ treatment? He feels ready to die. His
parents ought not to see him in distress. Through
the influence of the world, hitherto I have been
kept far from you ; I have reached no eminent
position at your feet. Tuka says, O God, keep
me as thou wilt in any condition thou wilt.

3092

\J^OU should encourage your servants and mak&
them feel confidence; they will not fail to-
serve you well ; they will swell with pride in the^
dignity which your fondness bestows on them.
They will rejoice in their master's words, in the
hand on their head which sets them free from fear..
They do riot ask for extra wages, says Tuka ; but
they feel sure these will be given them.

3093

TXT" H ETHER you command me to be saved or
^ ' drowned I am ready ; this is my firm
resolution. I cannot say if I was wilfully^
tormented by thee ; I shall receive in silence
what thou givest me. Put an end to my petitioning,,
or at least bid me henceforth be thy servant.
Whether I am to act or look on in silence, says
Tuka, at least speak to me, O Panduranga.

3094

'T^HERE was once a child who cried for a cake
such as he had never seen before. They

REPROACHES AND CHALLENGES TO GOD 133

placed a potsherd in his hand, and put an end to
his fretting and grumbHng. O Merciful One, do
not treat me so ! It is a parent's duty to do good to
their children, says Tuka.

3095

T CATCH the hem of thy garment ; I make
myself thy peer. I have grown reckless of
my life ; I stand up before thee. Tuka implores
the saints to tell this to the Lord of Pandhari.

3096

TJONOUR and a good name do not fail to cost
something ; the man who carries a purse has to
meet demands upon it. Tuka says, You know all
this. I am full of impatience; there is no patience
in me.

3097

AXTHAT need you spend from your own purse
that thus, you seek to evade me ? What
pleasure have you in thus amusing yourself ?
Tuka says. You have laid aside your manifest form ;
now who will set us free ?

3098

T^^EN pay back what they have borrowed ; the
"■• sum borrowed decides the payment. In pro-
portion, then, as my soul is drawn towards you,
there should be a movement on your part, O
Panduranga !

134 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3099

T HAVE settled my purpose, now I give it expres-
sion ; if you mean to be my father, you must
accomplish it. There is to-day an eager desire in
my mind; I have given up putting off things. I
know my own resolve ; I will not take a veiled
reply. Tuka says, Though I have had to remind
you of my resolution, still you should be proud
of it*

3100

IMj^AKE good your own words; recognize that
you and we are equal. If a man departs
from his words, it is against him that complaints
will be made. Tuka says. Not so will it be with
you and us ; you will be our intimate and our
friend.

3101

TXTHO will help me to find comfort in thee ? If
^ ^ thou wouldst be called Purifier of the Sinful,
fence me round on all sides. If not, give up the
badge of thy claim. Fulfil your promises, then
people will respect you. Take your part in the
world out of respect for people's opinions ; do not
let your promises fail. Such i§ not the case with
you and me, says Tuka ; you will be my bosom
friend.

3102

T LOOK wretched although I am thine ; thou

seemest to be even proud of this, O God ! When

a mother is angry with her infant child, who will

help him in his distress ? Just so, Vitho, without

"**•

REPROACHES AND CHALLENGES TO GOD 135-

thy help I am a stranger in the land ; do not cast
me into this distress. My hopes are wholly
centered on thee, says Tuka.

3103

T^HE Baudhya incarnation has fallen to my lot ;
"*• his mouth has accepted the rule of silence.
For people of former ages he assumed his blue
colour and four-armed shape; but he speaks in
secrecy to the saints of to-day. The Kali age has
fallen to my lot; though I direct my gaze every-
where, you do not meet my eyes. What harm
have I done to you, O Narayana ? For whom
have you no pity ? says Tuka.

3104

T^H Y character as Purifier of Souls thou dost not
"^ display in our case. If we suffer the pangs of
birth and death, what does it profit thee ? Tuka
says. You have played truant with me, but I have
seized your top-knot — your name.

3105

C££, Panduranga has played truant with me ;
^ but I have seized his top-knot — even his
name. Let the saints now judge between us,
who shows himself shameless here. Who is the
wrong-doer here, O ye saints? We sinners do
shout aloud his name. Make him renounce the
name of Purifier ; in truth, it is we who purify our-
selves of our sins. We, no doubt, are the trans-
gressors ; but what avail us the tales told of him
purifying men ? Tuka says, Though we perish^
we shall not quit your feet, O ye saints !

136 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3106

T^ELL us what sin we have committed from
which there is no escape. A deer and a fox
received places in Vaikuntha ; what right had they
to this ? He who assailed the elephant in the pond
— Hari asked him not if he was fit to be saved.
Tuka says, Ganika was vile, yet my troubles are
greater than hers.

3107

TpHERE is a plant called the sun -plant ; yet no
light falls from it. Another is called, on Dasra
day, the golden -tree ; yet nobody would accept it
as a pledge. Tuka says, O God, renounce your
name and claims !

3108

TF the Ganges went to the sea, and he refused to
give her a place, where could she go ? I? the
water vexed with creatures that live in the water ?
Does a mother refuse to shelter her children ?
Tuka says, I have come to seek your protection ;
i^hy are you silent ?

3109

/^ SEA of mercy, O Lord of men, vindicate now
^^ the glory of thy name, the high claims of thy
titles ! In this Kali age, God has assumed his
Baudhya manifestation ; O, do not incur the cen-
sure of the world ! Lo ! the Kali age seeks to
sweep away mother and son together ; what have
you to do with the wild tricks of the world ?

KEPROACHES AND CHALLENGES TO GOD 137

3110

npHOUGH I am a calf of the heavenly cow, I get
no food to eat ; what shall I do ? Thus you
have treated us, O Vitthala; how is it you have
forsaken us ?

3111

iXTHERE are you detained by the meditations of
yogis or the joyous preachings of Pandhari ?
What occupation engages you, that you cannot
liear my complaints ? Are you blissfully asleep
on your serpent-bed ? . How is it you refuse the
pleasure of listening to your worshippers ? Tell
me where you are detained, says Tuka.

3112

A MORTAL man, a food- eating worm, if you
-'^^ call yourself his servant, will not neglect you ;
he will not depart from his word. But you are the
Lx)rd of men, the Source of the sun and moon ; you
are the Feeder of the universe ; you are extolled by
the lord of snakes, says Tuka.

3113

"CHALL I go through the penance of five fires or
^ suffocate myself in smoke ? Tell me, what
pilgrimage shall I undertake ? Where is your
village ? Let me run to it. What conduct shall
I observe, what vow shall I undertake to make you
merciful to me ? You have turned harsh towards
me ; you give me no answer, says Tuka.

138 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3114

npHOU shouldest feel some shame for those
"*• that have clasped thy hand. Foul and
feeble am I, but be thou merciful to this poor
wretch. If a mother has a child with a rimning
nose, does she not love him ? Tuka says, Be
assured, I will quit my body for thee.

3115

TF we call ourselves thine, then thou wilt be
blamed when we fall short. That a man who
has drunk nectar should die — is this in accordance
with divine law ? Beneath the tree of wishes,,
need beggars keep their bags tied up ? When a
man has found the magic stone, says Tuka, need
he die of hunger ?

Uin.-Prayeri

3116

TpHOU hast drawn this body to thee ; now make
good use of it. O thou that knowest all,
know this, that I know not what worship is.
When a mother conceives a child, she understands-
all the signs belonging to it. Bear me on thy
hip, O Hari, says Tuka.

3117

IX/'HEREVER I look, there I see God— give

me some such faith as this ! I have grown

attached to one spot ; I am full of ideas about

PRAYERS 139

qualities good and bad. Wherever my head lies,
let it lie at thy feet ; do thou bring it to pass that
my life may not be wasted. Tuka says, Sweep
away all that keeps me from thee ; take up thy
dwelling-place at my feet.

3118

JJ ERE AFTER, thou shouldest go with me
wherever I go ; thou art now turned into all
my capital ; now do not keep me from thy feet.
Henceforth, O God, says Tuka, entangle me in no
snare elsewhere.

3119

CHOULD the body fail to control itself, what
are we to do ? Fix, O fix my thoughts on thy
feet. Suffer not the impulses of my mind to stray^
Tuka says. If men act thus, blest are they to have
been born.

3120

^XTHAT do we owe to one who gives us a per-
ishable boon ? Do not serve us up such
Counterfeits ; give us the reality, O Vitthala ! Is
she truly a mother who leaves her child crying
behind her? Tuka says, Those are truly pious
deeds that make thy fame to spread.

3121

T^ RE now, thou hast protected many in distress ;.
thou runnest when they utter thy name in
extremity. But me thou hast forgotten, O Pandu-
ranga. I am dying, says Tuka ; spring forth to
save me, O Keshi, my Lord !

140 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3122

Tyr Y purpose is settled ; I shall not change ; I
'*' shall not leave the way I have found. Thou,

then, must protect me; thy feet are all the
strength of my mind. Should I say this in many
ways, it will not grow plainer ; we must each be
the other's witness, mind to mind. O Life of my
soul, says Tuka, O Narayana, thou art my witness.

3123

T ET the Generous One fill up any deficiency ;
my intelligence is small, and I am at fault.

3124

T KNOW the due season, but my intelligence avails
me nothing. It is thou who must thoughtfully
teach me all. The mere asking of thee costs us
nothing and saves us from all care. Tuka says,
Bear with me ; I am grasping thy feet.

3125

/^NE standing at thy temple, like a door-keeper,
^^^ entreats thee ; save the suppliant from anxi-
ous care ! All is known to thy feet.

3126

T CANNOT forbear to speak of the spot where
^ my love dwells. The form that up till now has
been brought before me, O take not that away I
Hateful, O Narayana, says Tuka, is any course of
life apart from thee.

PRAYERS 141

3127

A T last, now I entreat thee, uttering just what
'^^ is in my heart. I ask that thy name may be
ever in my throat ; this alone will fulfil my desires*
Tuka says, So long as this wretched body holds
together, so long shall I sing thy greatness.

3128

'T^UKA says, I feel that at such a season thou
"*• shouldest run to help me.

3129

TN many a birth I have come and gone ; now da
thou set me free. I am carried away by the
stream of illusion ; do thou stem the current and
save me. Tuka says. Who but thou can save me
from affliction ?

3130

1V4^AKE me thy own ; give me this assurance
^^^ — ' Fear not ! '

3131

^tXTlTH outstretched hands, I run towards
^^ thee.

3132

npAKE care of the gift I have given thee ; my
intellect is now composed, I feel no desire
for pleasure. Obstacles arise and keep men from
thy feet; but, O may our union, says Tuka, be
sweet from first to last I

142 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

3133

^ I ^AKE me by the arm, and lead me beyond the
world. Thou art the chief jewel of the wise,
a very mine of all attributes. Thou art the crest-
jewel of all men, O blessed Vitthoba ! Make thyself
a shining lamp, and banish our darkness. Rend
the net desire, and take up thy dwelling in my
heart. See how I am ensnared in my ignorance ;
pray, take thou thought for me ! O Infinite One,
Tuka lays his head on thy feet.

3134

^npHIS alone is the favour thou shouldest show
' us — to let us lay our burden upon thee.

When hungry, men cry out for food ; when they
are cold, they need clothing. Whenever a desire
arises within us, at once we cry to thee for what
we want. Let not sorrow visit our house; keep
thy chakra whirling round it. Tuka says, I desire
not liberation ; I would rejoice to be born into the
world.

3135

TX/'H AT shall I ask ? Of whom shall I ask it ?
^ He of whom I should ask is near me. Were

I to ask for Indra*s habitation, even that is not
eternal. Should I ask for Dhruva's habitation,
Dhruva himself longs for the earth. Should I ask
for the joys of Svarga, when my merit is exhausted,
I must return here again. Should I ask for
immortality, the soul is already, by its own nature,
beyond death. Tuka says, There is but one thing
I ask for — unbroken unity with thee ]

PRAYERS 143

3136

"HpHE child must tell his longings to his parents ;
who else will minister to his fancies ? For-
give me my mischievous acts ; since I am near thee,
why dost thou neglect me ? Others than thou may
gain dominion over me ; where will thy greatness
be then ? Tuka says, I have approached thee from
afar ; keep aloof from me no more.

3137

T^^Y eyes are wide-open, gazing intently, while a
veryGangesof tears pours from them. Tuka
says, Prove now thy truthfulness by carrying out
thine original word.

3138

'IXTHAT knows the child of its mother's mind ?
All care concerning him is borne by her.
They are to each other as a stone is to a gourd
— when the gourd keeps the stone afloat. So too
<ioes a snake coil itself round the trunk of a sandal -
tree ; it coils itself, but does not assume the nature
of the tree because it is close to it. Now, do thou
take the part of the magic stone, says Tuka, and
consider me as iron.

3139

TiOUR down streams of nectar; put this child to
your breast.

3140

T AM impatient for thy bounty ; I have joined
my palms together to receive it. Turn and

144 THE PROBLEM OF ACTION

cast thy merciful glance upon me ; bring these-
things within my own experience. Thou art master^
I, servant. There is a mutual agreement between
us. Tuka stands before thee, face to face, and
entreats thee.

3141

TJlD us perform for thee some service in thy
presence ; we will refuse wealth and houses,,
we will give up our lives for thy sake. Let us
talk to each other, that our comfort may increase ;
let us gaze upon thy holy face. Tuka says, I
speak the truth ; let thy feet be my witness.

3142

/^OME, O Keshava, for the sake of this helpless-
^^ being.

3143

A QUARREL has sprung up among my mem-
'^^ bers ; they say, The ears and the tongue have
their fill, while the hands and the feet and forehead
are restless and the eyes are famished. My mouth
sings thy attributes, my ears listen ; but, say the
other members, such is not our case. The sight of
thee alone can gratify all, whereby each shall
receive his own portion. Bestow this upon me^
then, says Tuka ; this is my desire.

3144

'T^HOU showest thyself harsh to us ; this is why
-^ I address thee. Thou knowest everything

PRAYERS 145

thyself. Thou sittest with a store of all merchan-
dise before thee in one establishment ; there is
nothing there that belongs to any one else. Tuka
says, There is everything at thy feet ; O do not
disappoint us !

3145

npAKE such measures that I may enjoy this
company. Tuka says, 1 came to show my
confidence that thou wouldest destroy the store of
my past.

3146

^^^OTHING separates a mother from her child;
^ there is no wearisome discussion between
them. Give, O give me the sweets I crave for, in
fond pity for one in trouble. Admiring thee for
kindness such as this, I spoke the words I have
spoken, O mother Panduranga, says Tuka.

3147

^tXTH Y should I merely set my affection on thee ?
Let me sit by thy side and eat with thee.
Assuredly, I will leave nothing imeaten ; I swear
so by thyself. I will closely examine the various
dishes 1 have seen with thee. Tuka says, All the
Cowherd's children have told me the tale of his
doings.

3148

'TT^HY dwelling-place makes fear afraid ; if thou
art angry with us, where can we go ? Tuka
seeks a multitude of gifts from tjiee.

it46 PRAYERS

^XXTHEN a child is fondly loved, his father shows
: ^ ^ him no harshness in speech ; nay, he saves
him from harm when occasion arises. Thou hast
brought thy servants from afar and dealt kindly
with them ; thou hast cherished them carefully.
Thou hast suffered no wind of misfortune to blow
on them ; for harsh words wither them up. Tuka
says, O merciful Hari, give us peace by words
sweet as nectar.

3150

T^O not chase away the dog that waits at thy
•^^ feet ; do not lift up thy hand against him.
I have made myself a mere carcass, a very lout.

Life of the world ! Observe thy pledges towards
me, says Tuka.

3151

f^ LORD of the senses, mighty art thou ! Why
^^ dost thou delay to speak? Expound this
matter to me. Say thou * Thus it is,* and I will
arise and touch thy feet. Accepting thy words
with joy, Tuka will dance in fond admiration.

3152

I^TOW it seems thou wilt show me thy true form,
^ according to my desire. Therefore my
resolution will not fade away ; I have kept my eyes
open. I am watching for thy face ; I am waiting
to see if time enough has passed. Tuka says. May

1 know what I shsjl gain, and when I shall gain it ?

PRAYERS 14?

3153

'T^HOU art rich and fortunate ; I am full of
impatient desire. Cursed is a life of expecta-
tion ; in our wretched poverty, we gaze eagerly
towards thee. Rescue me from this condition ;
give me experience, O God ! Tuka says, When
we have become one, then this misery will
subside.

3154

'IXT^AS it because the appointed day had come,
* that thou didst suffer once so much toil and
-care ? Thou didst carry out thy promise then ;
so my mind is drawn towards it. O Mother, thou
knowest well thy children's fond desire; let no
hardness of heart stand between them and thee.
Tuka says, It is for us to speak, for you to make
^ood our words.

3155

T KNOW not why things are like this now ; the
thoughts of those days thou hast suppressed.
Tell us why thou hast set us on, to perform for
thee ceremonies of devotion. Thou hast drawn our
«yes towards thee ; this has sunk and settled in
our minds. Tuka says, Thou hast made this a
habit of ours ; O Cowherd bestow a gift on us full
speedily !

3156

XJEMOVE from my path those snares which
* would lead me to destruction. Listen to my
complaints ; to my tales of grief and joy. Thy feet

148 PRAYERS

are the only place we have where we can pour out
our feelings. Tuka says, We, creatures of thy
womb, are thy burden, O God.

3157

TN the strength of thy name, I toil through time^
1 have been oppressed by many enemies ; day
and night, I live in fear of them. Seat thyself,
says Tuka, at the root of my mind ; the net of
evil will be loosed from off me.

3158

TF thou doest something now, let it be something
^ truly done ; give me the gift of grace I have
asked for. They say thy promises are never violated;
thou knowest the difference between sin and merit.
Ample is thy power over the earth ; this claim
of thine is loudly announced. Tuka says, O Con-
sort of Rakumai, why dost thou consider me an
encumbrance ?

3159

CEND down upon us a shower, for my soul is
athirst. I look up to the sky in hope ; thou
knowest it, thou whose abode is the world. Thus,
through union with thee, the germ that is within
me will grow and be reared up. The fruit, says
Tuka, will be the full-blown lotuses of thy feet.

3160

^TpHlS forgetfulness ought not to steal over me

^ so often ; I should be filled inwardly with thy

attributesr The attraction of wealth fills my mind

■■to

PRAYERS 149

with impatience ; but no less impatient should I
be to meditate on thy feet. Tuka says, O moisten
my soul with moisture of life ; bestow it on me
speedily, O Panduranga !

3161

TpHE greatest gain that birth brings us is the
sight of the lotus-naveled God. How can
I cast off the encumbering cloak of life ? I have
travelled hither by many stages ; I have lived in
fear of yon dreadful place. Tuka says, O mother
mine, Vitthala, come to me in my last hour !

3162

XJ£ suffers no stains of guilt to cling to me ; he
wipes them off constantly, as occasion arises,

thou that dwellest near me, run, I pray thee ;
release me from these stains. Whatever comes
to light within me, I disclose ; thou, hearing my
cries, runnest to me.

3163

"D Y bodily toil, I have reached this unattainable
•^ spot; think now, O Narayana, what careful
treatment to bestow on me. I am oppressed by
debts ; thou must pay them off. Tuka says, I am
feeble, so I come to thee with entreaties.

3164

T WANDERED much frdm place to place ; my
faith was never sufficient for me. Yet peace

1 did at last obtain ; I survived, and now I say,

150 PRAYERS

Accept, O God, my blessing ; be happy in the
good fortune we bring thee. Tiika says, Let us first
begin our meal, and then eat the pungent dishes
in the middle of it.

3165

^^JOW, why should I feel any impatience ? He
on whom this care rests must bear it. I
shall not trouble to win myself fame ; I desire not
to be learned in the Scriptures. Tuka says, Being
now under the inspiration of God, I need not go
anywhere.

3166

"PNSNARED as we are by hope, we entreat thy
•*^ " mercy ; our soul is fully devoted to its aim»
Keep me by thee in such estate as thou seest fit ;
cut me off from the world, and make me a mendi-
cant. Tuka says, When a decree is given, who can
go on prating ?

3167

A FTER much scrutiny, this statement I make; I
'^^ present my entreaties at thy feet. O Consort
of Kamala, disappoint me not ! Oblations of
Ganges- water offer thou to the Ganges, even to
Panduranga. Tuka folds his hands and makes
obeisance.

3168

OPEAK to me and clear away this blackness
^ from my soul ; I shall see then the dehcate
lotuses of thy feet. O Soul of my soul, says Tuka,.
draw aside the curtain that hides me from thee !

PRAYERS 151^

3169

npHE experience of great saints shall enter my
soul ; my soul pants eagerly for this bliss.
Now take thou my soul as an oblation to thyself;
give me a place in the ranks of the saints. My
speech is like a creeper that spreads itself out but
bears no fruit ; it is barren, and dry like chaff.
Tuka says, I am come to the last extremity ; do
not leave me, O Narayana, in the rear of the other
saints.

3170

'T^HOU knowest what will lead to my true wel-
fare ; inflict on me no craze that will ruin me.
All power is thine ; so likewise all knowledge.
Prince of the wise, call Tuka thine own !

3171

T HAVE called myself thine ; before whom else
should I stand ? It would not look well in me
to go elsewhere. Time has long been pursuing
me ; he will not let me stand with steady purpose
before thee. Bear not in mind my store of merits
past ; to purify the sinful is thy part. Tuka says,
I marvel that others should have power to control
me so long as I am praying to thee. -• ^

3172

*^ AVE me M * Save me M * Save me * ! Spare me
now those cries ; let my love cling to thy feet.

J 52 PRAYERS

3173

/^IVE me thy embrace with overflowing love ;
^^ let my generous master cool my limbs.
Rain down upon me the nectar of thy glance.
Raise me up, and ask if I am hungry or thirsty ; wipe
my face with thy saffron robe. Take me by the
chin and caress me ; wave the neem-leaves round
me, and protect me from the evil-eye. Tuka says,
Show me, O Father, some such kindness as this !

3174

npUKA says. With single-hearted faith, I lay
"■■ my fainting spirit at the feet of all.

3175

T STAY by thy feet to do my duty there. If
■*■ thou meanest to do what is right, save a
sinful man, says Tuka.

3176

T AM ever wondering when thou wilt send a mes-
senger to call me. I have long been restless ;
I have long carried the burden of my body. Lift
now this load off me, says Tuka ; take me upon
thy hip, O Panduranga.

3177

^STROY not the life o^iWftir erring child.

3178

npHOU art the store of my past, the^ whole of

my merit, my inheritance, O Pan'ftjp^&^.l

Thou art my good deeds, my duties don6 niV

PRAYERS 153

daily vows, O Narayana! I wait for a gracious
word from thee; Tuka says, O most beloved
of loving beings, O best of beings, speak to me !

3179

npU KA says. Advise me as an elder ; whom else,
O Sea of mercy, can I consult but thou ?

3180

1^|[0RE of such happiness I ask in future ; a gift
of service to thee bears fruits of joy.

3181

XJEFORE whom else, say, shall I open my
mouth ? Who else knows my inner mind ? As
I come and go, I look towards thee ; consider this,
O Panduranga ! Fear, anxious care, and all occu-
pations I have renounced ; I remember thy feet
alone. Forget me not ; thus Tuka, thy humble
bard, entreats thee.

3182

A S is the faith T show to the world, such is the
'^^ space within me. As is the gem, says Tuka,
such is its lustre when it is set in gold.

3183

npH ROUGH the attractive power of Hfe, the
mind is filled with hopes ; a love of names
and forms grows up within it. Have we no
treasure prepared for us at thy feet ? Why are my
words so falsified ? Tuka says. Pass over all my
qualities ; vindicate thine own name.

154 PRAYERS

3184

\X^HEN a faun loses itself in the forest, its
^ heart breaks with grief ; so I, without thee,
am a stranger in a strange land; do not wait to
see me perish. Take to thyself the millions
of sins I have committed ; do not disappoint me
at the last. Give a thought to me now, O Infinite
One, says Tuka.

3185

T-TEAR now my last prayer. O Lord of Ka-
mala ! Body, speech, and mind I have
surrendered at thy feet. Now my soul and the
Soul Supreme ever dwell in union, in my heart;
stay for ever in my throat, O Keshava !

IX — CDe conaitions of accet)tatloii

3186

TN that case, the seed within should be true and
pure. Tuka says, When the smallest particle of
salt drops into water, it turns salt.

3187

TN niany a life, I carried on this quest; now, I
"*■ have come by this portion. Now I shall
sacrifice my life, and burn up my wordly interests*
When once they are gone, methinks no anxious
care will trouble me. Tuka says. Come, let us
hasten to grasp Vitthala's feet.

THE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTATION 155

3188

/^OD does not suffer his worshipper to follow
^^ any worldly vocation ; he himself winds up
his affairs. If God gave him wealth, he would be
puffed up; so he brings him to beggary. If he
gave him a virtuous wife, unreal desires would
entangle him; so he sets a shrew upon him*
Observe, says Tuka, such has been my own ex-
perience ; why need I say more ?

3189

HPHIS is the sum of all : cast your burden upon
God, and live like a beggar that solicits no
alms. Entrust your body to God, but employ its
strength in due season yourself. Be well assured^
He who nourishes the world will support and
extend it. Know that his strength alone is needed^
says Tuka.

3190

T HAVE vowed to myself that in very truth I will
be thy servant. I will betake myself to thy
feet, to Pandhari, the root of all. Till then, I am
but filling my belly with f obd ; I have been raising
a futile clamour. I have not found the true path ;
I am wandering at random. We ought to live a
life of respect; this will make the Lord favourable
to us. Men who keep their promises find out
what friendship is. Now let things happen as
they will ; my father and mother control every-
thing. Tuka says. What anxiety is there now ?
I have a port to look to.

156 THE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTATION

3191

^ I ^HE wife makes a vow to secure her husband's
return to his village ; what merit is there in
her action ? She makes a vow for her own benefit, —
that her children may grow up, and she may have
a house full of wealth and food. To expect merit
in such a case, would be to demand flint for the
magic stone, or to spend money in buying arsenic,
says Tuka.

3192

T^OR him who loves Hari*s name the net of
illusion is broken, the sea of the world is
scattered. Who is so strong that he has passed it
in this age by dint of actions or duties done ? We
cannot learn by heart the Veda, or grasp the sense
of the Scriptures ; master, then, the roll of his
names.

3193

Cultivate that wealth which all men desire;
^^^ which is more than enough both to eat and to
give, which measuring cannot exhaust. If such a
seed be sown deeply, in a moist place, then the
crop will come into your hands. Tuka says. The
three letters bring this contentment.

3194

TT is mere cowardice in those that will not take
the step; Narayana stands upright, ready to
welcome them. He has made the sea of life a
mere puddle ; all you need do is to call on him.
Take, step by step, the path leading to him ; then,

THE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTATION 157

what can arrest you ? Tuka says, He pays no heed
to true or false, to great or small.

3195

TLL-STARRED is he who sets off on the path
*■ to a holy place ; the very place he reaches be-
comes an obstacle to him. The best plan, there-
fore, is to sit still in one place, with one's thoughts
fixed on the root of the mind. To rely on plans is
to trust oneself to destiny ; one action brings on
another, and that, another. Tuka says. Pleasure
has not one face alone ; you will find happiness
by suppressing it.

3196

^IXT^HETHER you know your duty or not^
listen, I will tell it you ; utter -zealously
the name of Vitthoba. He will show you path-
ways, straight pathways, such as you need. He is
full of abundant mercy; all you need is devoted
love to him. As long as we asked others concern-
ing the way, we made many mistakes; but we
have now with us an honest guide, one who won't
let thorns pierce us or thieves carry off our belong-
ings. Tuka says. There is nothing to pay him but
the words Vitthoba ! Vitthoba !

• • • •

3197

^I^HE faithful believes he need not exert himself ;

the mood comes over him unbidden. The

mother asks her child for a morsel ; when he gives

it her, she feels an eager joy. She takes a pride

158 THE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTATION

in his lisping words ; she quotes them» and wears
them like an ornament. Tuka says, This can all
be proved ; Panduranga himself will take my side.

3198

'IXT'E will give a taste of our experience to those
* who are ready for it; we will empty our

bags before those who will prize their contents.
The withered flowers offered to God, should you
string them along with jewels, will nevertheless
shine by their own lustre. The first thing needed
is the essence of faith ; that is the good soil ; with
that you need not be anxious about seed or crop.
Tuka says, If a thing has good qualities of its own,
you need not spread its fame abroad.

3199

trow you lower yourself by abusing your
fellow-men ! The riddle of the world has
altogether degraded you. Seek shelter in my
Lord; he keeps his faithful close to him. Your
proper course is to ask nothing of him ; to do the
work appointed you to do — provided it is not done
through any sort of desire. Tuka says, Devotion
will carry you to the goal, if you keep your soul
intent on service alone.

3200

T^OW I am waiting for this to be 'given me ; I
^ make no efforts to obtain it. I need not
scrutinize my store of merit to see if it be enough.
Tuka says, I will render him such service as
he finds agreeable.

THE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTATION 159

3201

TX/ITH *us pure devotion alone survives; we
^ have no use for skill or knowledge. Pandu-

ranga, my Lord, possesses all knowledge; he,
Gopala, presses my body to his. Tuka says. This
we cannot attain by actions performed or duty
done ; only the faithful can make it their own.

3202

T OVE gives us power to control others; the
parents fear their own child. He cannot
actually use force to them ; but he uses entreaties
and sets up a cry. He clings to their dress, and
tumbles about them till he hurts them. Tuka says
what he likes, and Vitthala puts up with it.

3203

THE street- juggler may play the part of
Narayana by making himself up for it ; but
he remains a juggler after all. Men give the name
* God * to a stone, and faith in it can save a man ;
yet it remains what it was. You might call the
dhatura * the Golden Tree,' and place it on your
head to honour it; but it would not take rank
jamong your possessions. Tuka says. It is a man's
faith that saves him ; the sense of self destroys
him.

3204

\ MAN loves one man, and in his own mind

dislikes another. God has bestowed various

dispositions on men ; there are various grades of

160 THE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTATION

them, — high, medium, and low. The difference
we make between them depends on the love we
feel towards them ; some we honour, some we
censure. Only, says Tuka, if you love God, does
God feel an affection for you.

3205

npHIS is sport to you, but death to us ; we have
endured much trouble and many a re-birth.
Now I will take such steps that thou wilt visit us
thyself ; I will utter thy name. Apart frorri thee,
I have passed through wild forests, carrying a
burden of projects in my mind. Tuka says. Now
I have found an easy key ; till now, I was en-
tangled in sin and merit.

3206

"IXTE listen to the glorious deeds of the Infinite ;
they who had the name of Hari in their
thoughts, they have crossed the stream of life, they
have snapped the fetter of the world. Now, slowly
let us pass along the same path, with such right as
we may have to do so. They anchored their boats
here, and went on ; no jealouay of theirs- bars our
way ; we have no price or freightage to pay ; single-
minded faith is enough. Tuka says, He is waiting
for us upright, on even feet ; he has made a wharf
on the Bhima's bank ; rise up, move on speedily.

3207

TF a man keeps within him his private purpose, —
were it as small as a sesamum-seed, — or sense
of self, Narayana will not draw near him.

THE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTATION 101

3208

^ I ^RUTH is one and the same thing with renun*
ciation ; we need not spend words over this*
Narayana's servants are like himself ; this is the
desire on each side. When the mind is free from
all uncleanness, then God comes to rule it. Tuka
says, Know that this is the voice of a good man
that speaks.

3209

npHIS is a part of a speaker's art — not to let
■ another appear stronger than he ; he has to
show himself stubborn, just as we, O God, are
stubborn in dealing with you. We must make our
way into your heart ; we must reach the bottom of
it by throwing ourselves at your feet. Tuka says.
By our own words, we must bring you round to a
gracious mood.

3210

\X^HEN we have fixed our eyes on some clear
aim, no hesitation arises in the mind. A
brave man stalks proudly across a battle-field ; he
delights in death. What is needed is yearning
love ; then our strength will not fail. Tuka says,
If a man has a generous heart, his mind will not
fail him.

3211

\X^H AT keeps us from thee is this : our sense

of self parts us. God has shown us this

secret truth, and dispelled all illusion. It is as

though a man should twist his own ear; the pain

162 THE.CON&itlONS OF ACCEPTATrON

he suffers is much the same. Tuka says, While
we enjoy the bliss of solitude, all the congeners of
the body are bound up there together with it.

3212

^IXTHEN we possess such a secret as this, why
should we be ignorant and lost in. confusioa,
I will grasp his feet, and embrace him as he stands;
I will not let him stir. I will contract my desires,
and fix my eyes on his glorious face. Tuka says,
I have forsaken the multitude of doctrines ; I hold
with a firm grasp the one thing sufficient for me.

3213

T^OT by knowledge or reflection canst thou be
^ comprehended; nor can any system search
thee out. Thou art not to be found in the depths
of the Scriptures ; the Vedas cannot express the:
limits of thy nature. Tuka says. Thou hast no
finite bounds ; so my own thoughts about thee end
in failure.

3214

TjLTY soul is weary of the pleasures of the world.
•*■ I have no friend but thee. When, shall
I see that beauteous form, and cling to it with,
a fond, loving embrace ? How can I gain this end
without any aid from my past ? Gopala's humble
servant, Tuka, entreats him.

321S

Zk S long as you trust to your lock of haic and your
sacred thread, you are the slave of Vadic

i'lari.vcoNDiTioss of accuvtatio^ 163

texts. If you fail to k^ep the rules they prescribe,
you will fall into sin and go down to hell. Astute
and wise though you may be, take care you ke^
the rules in all their integrity. Break off with the
Jock and threacj, then nothing more will encumber
you. Tuka says, Only when you behave as thou]$&
the world were stranger to you, only th^n triH
signs of Bramha come to light in you.

3216

TF we surrender all, then only are we truly united
to God ; otherwise, he will only give to each
an experience proportioned to his desires. Etfdi
will receive according as he gives, so it is your
soul that must go. Tuka says,: The best plsui is
to keep nothing back.

3217

^VITHAT ought I to know or not to know ? I will
. ' ■ grasp thy feet in my mind. What ought I
to do or to leave undone ? By faith I will imprison
theee in my heart. I ask, O God, says Tukd,
to serve thee from birth to birth.

3218

T^^EANS of salvation require excessive toif;
^ "*■ let me only sing to thee with heart-feit
faith ; I shall gain everything while I am seated
there. The slave of God can perform acts ot
ritual or charity ; his body and mind are motionlesi&.
Tuka says. When a man is one with the Supreme,
-all stirrings of the mind cease.

164 THE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTATION

3219

TF God shows me any favour, then the knowledge
I receive will be Bramha itself. There will
•)>e no need to bring anything from anywhere, or ta
go apy where to get salvation. If a man gives
(jpd a place in his mind, lii^ mortal eyes wilt
become divine. Tiika says, When God manifests
himself, there will be no room for an individual
soul anywhere.

3220

l^NOWLEDGE acquired from the sight of
XV others — what is the use of it, so long as we^
liave no experience of our own ? The pleasures of
the senses have led many astray ; later on, when
they would fain give them up, they cannot repress
them. A well -planned diet, righteous dealings
with men, freedom from passion — these are the
means of salvation. As when a ship is anchored
on the sand and a gale assaults it, so is it with the
pompous self-conceit of man. Tuka says, Control
your .mind till you grasp Narayana.

3221

TF you wish to chum milk, there are things you
must do and things you must not do ; this is
the secret of butter. You must not spoil the
process, or all the butter will disappear. You
;nust take care of what rises to the surface ; you
must not let the essence be lost. Tuka says,
When you have satisfied, your hunger, then you
should lick your fingers.

THE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTATION 16^

3222

/^UR mouths should be saints themselves, our
^^ senses religious ascetics ; I know of nothing
else that is truly faith or devotion. These are the
only two divine songs ; all others are sung merely
for anxusement. Tuka assumes a posture of the
mind, and sings God's praises; '^

3223

T HAVE made myself ^rong by descending to be'
■ a suppliant. I have entered his house, and^
brought a treasure home with me. I have arranged
my plans so as to win a treasure of my owii.^
Tuka says, I embraced his feet, and plundered all
his wealth.

3224.;

^ I ^HE lisping of a child, whatever it be like,^
pleases the mother well. Sweet is the love;
of a child ; that is why she likes his words. The-
child runs before and behind 4ier; he pulls and^
pushes her, but she puts up with it all. Is it not'
so, Panduranga? Tuka entreats you to say. ^

, 3225 :

'IXTHEN we attain to a mortal body, we should
cpnsider its essential purpose ; we should
persevere on the road to devotion, We should'
confine the restless mind to one spotj and humble
ourselves at the- feet of the saints. With full
assurance, we should clasp the hand of faith ; the-
fears of life will then, disperse to other lands. Save'
the - nainei there is no easy path on • earth ; sing -

V66 THE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTATION

forth his name with joy. Blessed is the man who
does this, says Tuka ; he has become a very Mem
of fixed resolution. ^

3226

/^UR innumerable doctrines are fabrications of
^^ words ; by committing them to memory, men
grow voluble. The secret of my Vitthoba is far
removed from them ; as long as they are possessed
by the senses of the body, how can Vitthoba enter
them ? Sacrifice and penance, thought and things
thought of, fail to reach him. Tuka says. When
we grow weary of the world, we conceive a passion
for him, ^

3227

TF a man has no spare time, and still bears in
mind the Wielder of the Disc, he will help
him. When the soul is deeply agitated, should a
man fix his thoughts on Pandhari, Narayana will
help him. If he has no bodily strength, let him
offer nothing but faith ; the prince of Pandhari
will help him. Whether you have strength or not,
even though you be the slave of others, still be not
heedless of him. If a. man thinks of him, says
Tuka, Narayana approaches him.

3228

npHOUGH the hands and feet should join forces
and say, 'Come let us use our own eyes to see
with,* still, since they have no sight, how could
they see ? The eye alone is the beholder of all
things. When the Eye of the eye went forth to see,
says Tuka, he stood alone and continued to gaze*

THB NECESSITY OF EXPERIENCE^ 167

• • ■ ■ . . ^' -. . ■. » .... ... . J i,

X*— CDe nectsswy of experieiice

' • • . ^ . • " ■ . . ■ •"?

3229 . . -:

npHE joy of devotion no others know, be they
learned, or Vedic readers, or men of infor-
mation. Those who, by rapt contemplation of the
self, have not their own souls free, even they,
cannot compass the bliss oi devotion. If Narayana..
shows hi* mercy, says Tuka, then only can we'
master this secret. . ' " 1

3230 : : • 7

T OOK at my experieilce ; I have made God my
own. I need only speak what he puts into
my mouth, at any time when I answer you.
Only when we quit this wicked world, does Govinda
become our bond-servant. I have taken the hold^
step, says Tuka ; thus I have made him priscmer. :

''■■"^.r ' : .3231 ■ -■ '..;•.:

"DRING iron, cotton, and wool together, then fire'
leaps out when a blow is struck. Experience
will enlighten the mind in its own season. Food
brings the experience of satisfied hunger; let us set
our desires on it, for this is the measure to take.
Tuka says. When soul mingles with soul, then who^
can apply a name and when ? ^ ^:

: , 3232^ r J

-J - , • ■»-.•■. ' .

/^OD is bankrupt, he has lost everything. Why;
^^. should I waste any more speech on him ? I

168 THE NECESSITY OF EXPERIENCE

must approach him by my imiermost mind. He
has put up the shutters and lighted a lamp in his
shop. Tuka says, O people, take steps to keep him
in your house. ,

3233

^*^LEARLY has this knowledge shown itself —
^^^ that Narayana is in all beings. You must
make experience your own, by putting up a prayer
to God. The voice utters speech according to
what the eye sees or according to what falls on the
ear. Tuka says, You should master the secret
which will enable you to attain.

3234

'iTpHIS gift of my master's I have attained through-
the sight of him. Let us debate this in a
spirit of love ; let us hold a dialogue concemipg
your happiness. The only thing that will make,
this secret known is pious service at your feet.
Tuka says, Bring this intelligence of mine to
complete attainment.

3235

TTlRE cannot be described or set forth; it is an
f- experience of the mind which the mind alone,
understands. The young of the tortoise are fostered
by the mother's kind glances ; she suckles them not,,
but they cling to her in a fast embrace. Who teaches
the snakes, while they are yet in the womb, to
hide themselves as soon as they are born?.. Man
ip^y know well the difference between sweet and
salt, though he cannot describe it ; he knows well

THE NECESSITY OF EXPERliENCE 169

the feeling in his mind. Tuka says, Let the mind
consider things well for itself; l6t not the good^
enquire of other men.

3236

AX7HEN you gather fragments 6f gold and melt
them into a bar, the gold is just as it was ; it
is known as genuine gold, such as it was at first.:
It has passed the test of fire, the test of heat, and
the test of filing and boring. You may take it
round all the country, says Tuka, but you will not
lose by it.

3237

A PARROT knows how to say what he has been
"^^ taught ; but what is there really in him corre-
sponding to this knowledge ? A man cannot become,
a prince through any pleasure that dreams bring
him ; my experience has shown me this. Why
was my tongue graced with ornaments of speech ?-
I seem only to drift farther from thy feet. A.
treasure beheld in a mirror we cannot grasp nor»
put in our purse ; yet it looks to our eyes as though
it was real. We go on hankering after it, but we
have to gulp down our spittle; it seems to be a
mere delusion. The gift bf poetry confers sweet-
nens on speech ; this the Puranas testify. Tuk§
says, A. cowherd keeps the cows pf other men ; he
calls them his, but he gets no profit out of them.

3238

Y sight has brought me no experience ; I speak
only what my ears have heard. If you

170 THE NECESSITY OF EXPERIENeE

Utter the word 'cakes,' what conaes of it ? Does it;
make you feel as though you had eaten a meal?
O Hari and Hara, if you send friendly enquiries,
after me by letter, and show me no honour when
we meet, what response must I think you mean
to give ijie ? Why are you not the same within
and without? You act as though you were a.
stranger to me. You create hopes in us by crying.
*3 come,' then you let the drowning man drift
down the stream. Tuka says, O Crest- Jewel of
Wisdom, how loiig inust I cry to you? Where
are you ? _ r

3239

A BLIND man describes things as tbey are de-
'^^ scribed to him ; but a man who can see has
the evidence of his eyes before him. When a
man has an established dwelling-place, this shows,
that his fatiiers before him were powerful men.
How can a feeble man find any comfort in life?
Tuka says. Let us make ourselves a home by
our own valour, then we can praise it to the
world.

3240

TJE ^ho is truly toved by another finds a home
near him; others, though they approach, are
sfill left far away. A cow deserts a fuU-^own calf,
though it be of her own family. The lover alone
knows the sweetness of his mistress's love, though
others may find pleasure in her company. Tuka
says. Speak where your words wiH be truly
valued.

THE NECESSITY OF EXPERIENCE l^lr

3241

\i^OU cannot cook your food backwards; yoa
must follow the rules which have been laid
down. You cannot trust the words of a great
talker ; they are' mere chaff, -with no taste in them.
How can a man gather fruit before he plants a
tree? A man who jests about doing so, you may ^
call an idle prater. How many wretches have
been cheated in this way, says Tuka ; they imagine
that wheat itself tastes like cakes.

3242

CUCH is so-and-so, the voice may be compelled
^^ to say ; but the mind^s experience should tell
it* 'He is not such.* The body loves bodily actions ;
for thus within and without come to correspond
with each other. When a mother and son meet
unexpectedly, tears depart from them because of
the joy they feel. Tuka says, One thing reveals-
the other ; good brings good to light ; mere show
ends in mere show.

3343

l^USK-DEER carry in themselves the odour oF
7 musk ; but though it belongs to them, they^
are not conscious of it. Lucky men buy it for a
price ; but the deer, who carry it as a burden, are
killed fior its sake. The chakora bird satii^es its.
thirst with the nectar of the moon ; the bee feeds
on sweet odours. Experts gain their knowledge
from examples like these ; even as a jewel is appre-
ciated by the jeweller's eye. What would be the
use of putting it in a blind man's hand ? It would
be wasted, as a pearl would be wasted, says TukS^

172 TRIUMPHANT HAPPINESS

XL--Crianipbant Rappiness

3244

^TTHE best of all places, a scene of delight, is any
place where you remember God's feet. Be it
A forest or a house, lonely or crowded, there the ^
spirit is at peace. Blessed is that time, a yery
stream of joy, which is spent in contemplating
Govinda. Be assured, says Tuka, by the aid of
Narayana, that is a time of true gain, a time of
good fortune, a halcyon time.

3245

^T^H ROUGH the power of our master, everything
•^ is humbled before us ; Time and Death are
•subject to us. God is proud of his servants ; so,
offering to him all our aspirations, we rest at his
feet. Let Narayana, says Tuka, fulfil our childish
longings, and give us a plaything such as we desire.

3246

T FEEL as though I must dance, so fondly do I
love thy nature. My limbs are set in motion ;
they are pulled by the strings of thy commanding'
-power. Thy name and form have filled them with
this passion ; naturally do they follow this course-
they are entered on. Tuka says, Panduranga
■embraces me."

3247

'TpHIS bending and bowing to every one, the
r: vexations of my. husband^s house, they Are

TRIUMPHANT HAPPINE&S 173

chased away ; I shall see this misery no more. In
her husband's house, a girl is the slave of many ;
but in a moment, says Tuka, that has all been
uprooted and ended.

3248

T HAVE put on me, like an ornament, the plea-
sure of devotion ; now let me taste this nectar.
In the gatherings of the saints, we shall speed
along the time, raising loud shouts of joy and love.-
Here, on earth, we have the very bliss that sets
Bramha marvelling. We desire not Vaikuntha ;
Panduranga comes running to his service; why
should we seek liberation ? How can it bestow
tn us such a mood as this ? Tuka says, This
fulfils all my longings.

3249

A LL other pieces of good fortune would I waye

round him and throw away ; yes, were it such

a lot as Indra's. I ani confident, through my own

experience, that God dwells in the house of

Vishnu's devotees. !

3250

E suffices even for the feeble.

3251

AX7"HEN we have once made this strength our
own, then we are free from anxious care.
If once we have gained this happiness, we nee^
nothing else.

174 TRIUMPHANT* HAPPINESS

^ipHERE is not a trace or bond left; the world
■*■ has been made invisible to me. I need only
sit and eat what God has freely given me. I am
«et free from fear ; there is no room for any second
in my heart. There is no reason, says Tuka, for
me to add any more.

3253

'\X7'HY need we take this case before the court ?
* It was settled when it began* The deed of
:gift is in my hands, bearing the signatures of
many saints. I stayed by myself away from you,
uttering the words * mine, mine ' ; but at last thQ
quarrel has been mended ; there need be no more
^grumbling now. The treasure that was set apart
has been put into my hands ; you, O God, have
no control over it now. Tuka says. All wrangling
would be wasted now ; I have taken possession, of
my own share.

3254

ILJE shines forth plainly, as huge as the world.;

^ ^ all darkness is banished. There is no place
where one could hide from it ; for the world is laid
•open before us. The day of truth has dawned;
words suffice not to describe its growth. TukS
says, I have surrendered my soul to you ; I have
•embraced the Very Highest.

3255

€7^E have made ourselves strong by falling
^ ^ before you in suppHcation ; we have made

TliiUMPHAKT HAPPINESS 175

our way into the house and seized the store. We
have planned things so as to gain possession of the
treasure* We have embraced his feet, says Tuka,
and thus we have set ourselves free.

3256

npHE home of bliss, the fountain of jby welling
. up ; the Lord whose glory it is that no one

dsLve even look at his child ; when he has a servant
like, himself, he will take him home with him,
Tuka says. This is the gift bestowed on us by
the Infinite Splendour.

3267

^IXT'HEN pleasure is added to pleasure, there
follows, as it were,, the curdling of milk,
and butter is churned forth from it. The body
trembles and sways with joy, the arms and eyes
grows cool. This is the might of Narayana;
through his attributes these properties in us are
developed. Tuka says. The measure is heaped
above the brim, so it runs oyer.

3268

npHOU art rest for the weary ; I wave neem-
leaves and salt around thy name. O Joy
Supreme, who receivest the forlorn and accountest
them no burden. Tuka says, My desires are
satisfied !

3269

^1X7 E were afraid because we spoke of * our-
selves ' ; but he has taken us on bis own

176 TRIUMPHANT HAPPINESS

back. , The whole world belongs to us now ; Time
is not left a particle of power over us. While we
utter the name of the Mighty One, what anxiety
can we feel ? .Tuka says, In Narayana our life i$
full of bliss.

3260

npHERE is none that can prevail against him ;
what is there that the Lord of Pandhari
cannot accomplish ? O mind of mine, what refuge
is there for you to run to ? Be now at peace. The
power of the senses to draw you after them, the
traffic of the world we have banished; all that
penetrated you and set you in motion. Tuka
says, We have conquered Time ; we sit still.

3261

TX7E Vaishnavas consider this the inherited
religion of our race ; we rely on this name
with whole-hearted confidence. Then alone, you
may call us servants of Hari and extol us, when
first we have purified our minds of desire. We
ask of thee neither the pleasures of the world nor
liberation ; we sing thy praises with love and joy,
and dance before thee. Tuka says, Grant me from
birth to birth this life to lead.

3262

/^OD has grown friendly to me ; he has satisfied
^^ my soul with sweet after sweet. I have
secured a prosperous harvest; the stain on my
soul is gone* Sins and merits have vanished with
me; by one ablution, I have wiped them off*

TRIUMPHANT HAPPINESS 177

Tuka says, My voice is purified in Janardana who
dwells in men.

3263

'\)L^E have been comrades from birth to birth;
^ " now, unexpectedly, we have met each other.
Now the thread of love cannot be broken ; though
you let it go, it will not leave your hand. Tuka
says, At last, you and I are truly united.

3264

TJE called me to him and pacified my mind, by
"■■^ pouring out his sweets — the bliss of love.
He strung together the gems of his names, and
gave me them as a wreath to wear. This bliss,
says Tuka, set me at my ease ; I was engrossed in
his name, and his name made me happy.

3265

•Che has fostered me in many lives and given
^ me an eminent place at her feet. She let me
{orm the habit of asking her for sweets I love,
Tuka says. She never lets me feel, for a moment,
separate from her.

3266

^IXTH AT we lack, our mother provides and brings
^^ us, while she sings songs to comfort us.
All pleasures come round to us where we ar^.
Wherever we choose to stay, as our own inclination^
prompt us, in that very spot we look our best.
We have plucked up by the roots the tree of desire ;
all sinful wishes we have banished. Tuka says

178 RAILLERY OP GOD

VHthata, the mother of her worshippers, will cssi
her shade upon us.

3267

H ROUGH the power of our lord, the purposes
of mortal men are attained. Since we have
the power of God behind us, we bring Time into*
subjection. We can accomplish all with God to
help us. Tuka says, Through the controlling i)ower
of our Lord, we need never more feel fear.

XIT.-Railkrv of m

3268

A FRIENDLY quarrel ends in no triumph of
"^^ either side, though the words sound harslu
The father is grieved by his son's grief ; they livo
with one life between them. Nothing can break the-
tlo3e bond of their love ; no enmity can place a
barrier between them. Tuka says, If I utter a
piteous cry, the Cherisher of the Universe wilt
draw near to me.

3269

/^ BEST of beings, there is no one to compare
^^ with you! Your intelligence is not master
of itself; you cannot stay awake unless we call
on you. If we wake you up, you manifest
yourself. Tuka says, You need teaching every-
day.

ItAJI^LBRY OF GODi 129*

3870

^T^HE glory and excellence of tby name I have
"^ prck:laimed ; but I taste it not myself. How
can peace abide with me? What I impose on
myself does not dwell with me. We marvel at
anything that brings us real gain ; that is what we*
long for ; traffic in the spurious ends in the spurv*
ous. Tuka says, Get thee glory for thyself ; do
noc wait for pious service from me.

3271

T OVE didst thou bestow; an attentive mind
didst thou require ; an exchange took place
between us. Why should we call thee generous ?
With trusting faith, thou takest one thing and
givest another. Thou givest little and takest
much ; thou forbiddest all men to judge thee»
Tuka says, Thou didst allot to us an attentive mind
as our capital, and now thou hast cast us into an
indifferent mood.

3272

\X7HEN a man is ready to sacrifice his life, why
need he show any fear or deference towards
anybody ? You penniless wretch, I shall strip your
blanket off you in the market-place ! The more
respect I show you, the more trouble you give me*
Tuka says, I shall publish your origin and family.

3273

Y^OU take the souls of others, but you show them

no pity. You will not give away your own

superfluities ; this is meanness, O Govin^a ! If we

ISO RAILLERY. OF GOD

are to serve thee, at least we desire to see thy
person ; we cannot endure, that thou shouldest hide
thyself. Tuka says, O Master, O Destroyer of all
things ! .

3274

-^HERE is a fell spirit that lives at Pandhari ;
"^ it pounces on men who pass along the road.
<jo not there any of you ; those who went there
never came back. Tuka went to Pandhari ; he
came not back to life again.

3275

... v.. •

|i4'Y devotion you look on as a loan ; as a pledge,
^•^^ I hold your feet. Give me for interest your
love, O Hari, and hasten to settle accbimts between
us. , My otiier wealth I shall not give up,— my right
to preach you continually. Your name is a bond
that has passed between us ; you are welcome to
take me to cotirt over it. O you that are borne on
Garuija, my witness, says Tuka, is my teacher !

3276

TF we want to quarrel, let us quarrel with God
^ and fix our thoughts on him ; thus the best of
tnen have told us. Why should we hide ourselves
from God ? If he will not meet us, he is welcome
not to meet us. . l^t him enjoy his life of bliss in
Vaikuntha ; he is welcome to keep us moving from
land to land. If God has filled his heart with
pride^ there let him dwell by himself. . As long as
we grasp his name; in our minds, vr^ shall live
ikppily here; we; shfidl sing joyfully songs a^bout

RAILLERY OF GOD IS^I

•Gbvin^a. Tuka says. This is God's way of letting
things go astray ; see, we rock ourselves to and fro-
with joy.

3277 '

X - • » — .

\i^OlJ and I are kinsmen from of old ; first we
were relativesj-the» we- were sons of one
mother. ' Since we shared the estate between us,
people do not respect us ; but I have my own
authority over the estate, and I shall exercise it*
We became then sons of your daughter, your
grandsons, and we lost the blest condition that w&
enjoyed before. I am the brother of your wife
Lakshm!, a near relation, a defamer ; hence it is
that you deride me. We tease each other unbecom--
ingly ; 'twere better to say nothing of this. You
will not recognize mother, sister, or daughter ; the
sin of their existence has been laid to our chargel
The five senses have brought disgrace on us ; we
dare not show our faces to the world. Tuka says^.
We shall first grasp the root ; what is to be done
afterwards, we shall leave alone at present.

3278

O AY, whom did you sj^ve or carry to the further
shore ? It is the saints who convey to us
words of instruction, then you give your assent to*
them. Tuka says, Not to you are we grateful ;.
it is the saints whose names we utter.

3279

Co niggardly art thou, O Govin<Ja, that thbvr
*^ wouldst not give away even thy superfluities*.

1S2 FAITH AND TRUST

This habit of thine we caxmot understand. Thou
re^uirest us to serve thee with all our members ; if
we cheat thee of one, thou canst not brook it.
Since Tuka has renounced ail action, why dost thou
«xact such toil from him ?

XITT.— falfb aiiamisf

3280

XJ£ alone deserves the name of valiant who
conquers the world; others are feeble
creatures, pack-horses laden with selfish desires.
3ut he is truly valiant who makes God his prisoner
by faith. Best of all, says Tuka^ is the life ever
Jipent in his praises.

3281

*^\ ^HE son of Devaki has made me like himself^

through contemplation of him. So he did

with the cowherds too, riveting them to himself.

When once he has taken us to himself, says Tuka,

he does not leave us.

3282

^TpHE child of a powerful man may play without
*• fear ; when he is arrayed in ornaments, they
look well on him; with others, they are a burden
that brings no honour. / He may go anywhere he
likes, because his father and mother are powerful.
Se^ it is with nie, says Tuka; hence it is that {
i^j(^ offered tliae n^' service.

FAITH AND TRUST 19$

3S83

TX^HAT means the unrest of all this burden of
^ worldly activities ? My Lord knows the
■secret reason ; my business is only to take my
meals. The anxiety rests on the right head ; the
little child has only to play. Tuki says, This ends
the matter; the person affected by these words
,isGod.

3284

/^NCE I was full of cares and desires ; now they
^"^ have been destroyed ; once you were in-
different to me, and turned awa3' from me as
though 1 had been separate from you. The
net of illusion increases misery, but the current Is
now drawing away both one and the other. What
can now foster our desires ? says Tuka.

3285

!^^ THOU that standest on the brick, thou hast
; ^^ saved me all manner of trouble. Thou has
.livert^d from me birth and rebirth ; who need
be angry now and at whom ? If we are to depeild
oh plans formed by us, much toil will be needed
before fruit is produced. Tuka says. Now, whether
we are to meet or not, depends on your own
passion for us.

3^6

:Tr-AM?bo^n to die; yet I am contented with this
'r?- yi3ry lot.' I am delighted with it b&yOQd,^ aU
'measure i:^ Jifcanmsver say * Too much bf it I* ThfifiB
.9ba^][beea:ar,very fdtintata of nclct^r cspenedi wbe(trft9if

184 FAITH AND TRUST

we can never have too much. Tuka says, The
name of Vitthala is relished in the mouth and is
^ell digested afterwards.

3287

XX7HATEVER praises we bestow on you arc
really dispraise ; they are fond expressions
of ours ; cherish them through the love you bear
Us. I amuse you with my prattle ; I crave for
sweets, says Tuka, with the innocent desire of a
child.

3288

I ABHOR the world and its affairs, so I have-
given them up, and lie crouching down here.^
The illusion can return on me no more ; I have-
hardened my frame against it. I have discovered
God, says Tuka ; fear has left me.

3289

TF you call me, I will come when you speak r
'* I shall look forward with delight to getting
some sweetmeats from you. When you call me, I
shall eat them up at once. Tuka says, O God, all
my actions are in your presence.

3290

npHE end of life is sweetened by thee, soon thee-
I fix my affection. I shall pay no heed to-
pains and pleasures ; they are the b(^y's heavy lot ;
but within the body I shall make a dwelling-place-
for thee. Thy strength will set us free from toil
and desire ; we need not multiply our cares. Tuka

FAITH AND TRUST 185

says» Now we are crushed by their weight ; but
with you, of a surety, there is power divine.

3291

\rOU are no wolfish mother, like other mothers
of the world, that we should fear our words
will be wasted, like chaff that bears no fruit-
Thou art not weak, though thou hast no possessions.
Thou art not false, says Tuka nor in any way an
abject wretch.

3292

npHE story of God I cannot do without; but in
worldly life I only pretend to take a part.
Your own mother is the best of mothers to you,
whatever she is like ; as for other mothers, if you
like to honour them, you may do so. She who
gave us birth yearns over us ; her spirit is exceeding'
tender towards us. Tuka says, I pass my days in
fond admiration for her, relying on her to support
me.

3293

Q INFINITE ONE, all I have to guide me is
^^ such guidance as thou vouchsafest. I shall not
cease to fall at thy feet ; what is in my heart will
come forth from my lips. What I love is unalloyed
faith ; this will be sweet in the latter end. Tuka
says, I shall not fail to observe the rules appointed
me.

3294

TXTHERE you send me, I shall sing your
^ ^ praises ; I shall give no thought to the aims

iB6 FAITH AND TRUST

:io£the body. So what I ask for is this sweetness
in my throat ; then everything that bars my ^way
will perish. While I feel thy gracious glance
upon me, I shall not fear the Kali age, though in
ittt{B':e it grow ia strength and power. Tuka sa^,
l^ 0^11 wave my flag at thy feet ; thy name shall be
^«&s^ fer the world to attain.

:: 3295

. ■ ■ ■ . . i

CEE how I have fixed all my thoughts on otA
^ aim ; I have begun to suppress desire. My
^oul delights in nothing but thee ; this is what
1 have vowed, O God ! Though I know not thy
•secret, nothing shall interrupt my course ; what I
have worshipped, I shall still rejoice to wofsfeip.
Tuk& says, I have found that thy name is tite';"I
listen to no news of other things. -

3296

A MOTHER'S anger and her love exist side by
"^^ side in her ; but she is careful to remembet the
•difTerence between them. Her irritation passes in
a moment when it arises ; her love never ceases.
She knows how to teach lessons that make lile
^weet; assuredly, nothing interrupts her love.
Before the due time comes, what she says is make-
believe ; but she knows when the time does. come,
and gives her child what is best for it. She makes
no promises on his behalf, and lets no one torment
him ; though she frightens her own baby by
telling him there's a snake coming. Tuka
-says. She takes good <:are of her children's lif6~;
she trembles for them and draws them to her side.

FAITH AND TRUST W7

0297

fWT^E are met in a close embrace, body to body ; wfe
. are twined in each others arms. The servicb

is mine, the kindness thine, O God! says Tuka.jy)

3298

npRUTH is measured out more liberally ; the cur-
- rency of falsehood is circumscribed. It is
Icnown what will satisfy the test ; tliis coinage 13
^current everywhere. A ruler is not recognize^
Awhile he stays at home ; he must be set on the
.throne and honoured. Tuka says, What is true m
itself win be recognized as true when it is reflectfsd
in a mirror.

3299

-INHERE is no gulf between you and me, O
■ • Vitthala ! How indeed could there be any Wrong-
ing on either side, when we have the four to d5
justice between us? I have found now the drt-
ginal written contract ; I need not argue thd ^piiit,
says Tuka ; my course is easy. ^ 1 '* - ^

3300 *

']1X^H Y should I spare my body now ? It is a paid
-^ retainer who will depart. Tuka says, I have
opened up my mind ; I am a plain, simple, gen^ro'tis
man. ■■•- -y

3301

.^^TOW, I have only my father aiid mother in the

^ world ; there are no wicked men leh to injure

me. Why then, in respect of this matter, should

188 FAITH AND TRUST

the saints feel any anxiety about me ? I am entrust-
ed to the care of him who cherishes the universe ;
by his controlling power, he keeps the world in
motion. Tuka says, O Panduranga, it is thoa
who dost feed and cherish me.

3302

A CHILD petitioning is never hopeless; his
"^^ mother is never unconcerned about him. Why
should I be so impatient in niy soul ? The Lord of the
senses knows my case. If sometimes he keeps me
waiting, it is all in sport ; there is no want of mercy
in him. Tuka says, He knows what is best for
us ; no doubt he has ordained our lot.

3303

JDERCHANCE, he has determined to amuse
- himself with me ; he hungers for adoration, he
sets us weeping. The mother hides herself and
mystifies the child ; but she is never so cruel as to
leave him. Tuka says, She makes strange sounds
to :f righten her baby, and then she caresses him.

3304

npELL me, which of my thoughts is unknown to-
thee ? Why need I form designs of my own ?
In this matter, thy authority prevails as thou hast
established it ; to testify to this, my voice proclaims
thy commandment. When love is once bom, no
bodily embrace is needed ; by inner contemplation
its hue is deepened. Tuka says. What I have said
up till now is nonsense ; now I have firmly fixed
my faith on thee.

FAITH AND TRUST 18.9.

3305

X-TOW can we take our fill of our parents' love ?
Of such a thing, how can it be possible to have
enough ? What is appointed will come to pass in
its own due time ; if a man tries to get his way by
force, all that is left him is his own obstinacy.
Only once, and briefly, need we make known our
desires to him ; all keys are in the hand of the
Highest. Tuka says, The secret of secrets I have
declared ; now all careful thought is left to you.

3306

CLOWLY and comfortably, by easy stages, I
have finished this journey. 1 have followed a
road where children and cowherds journey tp-
gether — the straight and level road of service io
thee. Though we should feel weary, we must not
deviate from this way. Tuka says, God is ever
near his servants. *

3307

^^Y wanderings in search of alms have met with
success, a success proportioned to the dis-
tance I have travelled. I will sojourn here, and
return home bearing with me a sign that I have
reached my goal. Tuka says, The service of thy
feet is gain which my eager desire has attained.

3308

T^Y mind has done well to start on this path;
^ "^ we can go home without fear, through the
yalour of this king of gods. We feel no need of
other means of attainment ; the praise of God fully

190 FAITH ANI> TRUSt

proclaimed is all we need. Tuka says, His author -^
iiy is supreme ; who can stand in our way ?

- 3309

r - ■ .•,■•->

■»• ' . ' '

TN him alone I trust; all other names to me*^
"*" signify nothing.

3310

T WILL sing to thee as best I may, careless strains-
T" or well -composed, with such skill as I possess.
Tuka says, I do not feel it wrong ; I am thy lisping
child.

3311

Tjir HAT pleasure can 1 feel in my lord!s love, if it

be a matter that embarrasses him ? I will not

ask thee, O Narayana, for anything that pains thee..

3312

TXTHEN I meet thee, I will tell thee the secret of
* my love ; together, we will eat a sweet meal of
joy. ", This is how a mother and her child behave.-

3313

npUKA says, Entrust me to him in this way^
then surely he will protect me.

3314

'T^HOUGH many strangers may try to interest a
■ "*• qhild, yet, in his heart, he is only fond of his
mother. He does not care to hear other men
iPilking ; he dances, with delight when he sees her.

jTAiTH ANi> Tl^UST 151

^WTH ATSOEVER wishes arise withiij me, taJce
thou, O Narayana, the place of them. What
particular wish need I distinctly state ? Thou
JcQQwest every aspect of the mind. What othee
ftiend have I than thee, to whom I may tell my
desires ? The whole world has turned slanderous
towards me ; 1 cannot recall who are my friends
or my enemies. Thou art the soul of our souls ;
my peace rests with thee, says Tuka.

3316

IX^ITHOUT this gift from thee, says Tuka,.
.. I will not live ; I had rather be a man d©-
Qi^nted.

3317

IJEING limbs of thy body, we know thee coni-
pletely ; others find thee a riddle hard to
penetrate. Thieves familiar with a house knowr
where to lurk and whence to attack it. Tuka says,
1 have pierced a way in, and I come to talk to you.

3318

XJE is generous in distributing his love; he con-
* '*' siders not if a man is great or small. Sin
has test its power and retreated; Time has fled
into exile.

3319

npEST my mind with all severity ; my heart will

not swerve from you. I will not lose my

head for you; you shall see if I am miserly or

192 FAITH AND TRUST

generous. Crush me with a sledge-hammer; yet
I shall not quit thy feet. Tuka says, as his last
wordi I cannot move forward without thee.

3320

''TpHE giver is the consort of Lakshm! ; how small
is the boon I ask ! He knows the thirst of
the thirsty ; but you cannot lessen the Ganges by
brinking it. If it is the wishing-tree that is the
giver, what will it cost it to satisfy one hungry man ?
Tuka says, By ceaseless contemplation, we have
got hold of the highest Brahma.

3321

XXTHAT purpose stands unaccomplished through
^ ^ thy reserve, that I should trouble thee with
^orce ? My life is not passing away ; I am suffer-
ing no loss ; this I can easily recall I have
po anxious cares; I am not dying of hunger, nor
do I stand in need of buffaloes and kine. This you
know full well; my words are long and tedious,
but my faith is real. Tuka says. To gain perishable
things mankind abandon your feet.

3322

TX7E have made God our debtor ; what harm will
'^ * it do us if we ignore other gods ? Let us
lay our entreaties before one alone ; it is no use
crying to others. If we cringe before many with
troublesome requests, the end will not be purifica-
tion. After full consideration, we have left all
-others alone. Tuka says, Let my faith repose at
the feet of God ; my soul will be gladdened.

FAITH AND TRUST 193

3323

TF I cannot fill my belly with food, I will eat dust ;
but I Will not lay a burden on thee. Priceless
is thy name; Bramha and the rest know this not.
Tuka says, True is thy name; it suffices by the
impression it makes on men.

3324

T SHALL not look upon your face lest I should
cast an evil eye on you ; better far, I should first
look on your feet. This body I shall give you to
be waved round you and thrown away.

3325

TX^HAT entangled us, O God, in days gone by,
^ ^ that the rest of our lives should be filled
with fears ? Your fame in the world is still
what it ever was ; what is there that you ought to
give us when you meet us ? Some there are who
sit fasting, to compel a gift from thee ; there is no
such obstinate persistence in us. The eagerness
of these men brought disgrace on you ; but what is
there that we stand in need of ? We desire not
liberation nor dwelling-place in Vaikuntha ; we shall
surrender our personal selves to thee. Tuka says,
O Infinite One, if there is anything of mine you
wish to have, take all that is mine !

3326

yi GOPI went alone into a forest without the
-•^^ knowledge of her household. There was
no one with her ; she was unconcerned for her
13

cl94 FAITH AND TRUST

safety. When she had entered the impenetrable
forest, she was beset by beasts of prey. She sajv
no path before her; an appalling fear came over
her. . Those whom she had left behind were far
from her ; there were obstacles ahead of her.
Then, says Tuka, she began to think upon him who
dwells in the heart.

c".

xiy

v_ , - -

Cbe moral Ideal ^

L— Pttriif from desire and

3327

XJE on whom the wealth and wife of another
make no impression, Tie is not, even in
other directions, bound for a moment by the chain
of actions. This expetifence is^ attained by the
trusting soul ; it sees the innermost truth laid bare
before it. Search out this conclusion, that all
fermented food is strong drink ; though people
have distinguished degrees of poison, and called
^ome pure and somip ikppure. Tuka says, Ex-
perience will shqw ytiu what is really right in this'
matter ; how can you buy your advantage with
money ? .

3328

T-TUNGER goes no further than the stomach ;
: : it is de$irQ tbat n^akes us fill our bag and
lyings stiame o^ us; it is craving that increases
qur lpa4^ For indigestion^ there are known reme^
<Ues-r^u^gueats and cauteriziation ; one who shaved

196 SINCERITY

his head or chin for it would be doing wrong.
What is not prescribed is injurious, because you
mistake its due application. The prescribed re-
medy must be applied in due measure, so far as
the purpose requires. . The man who avoids pollu-
tion, he is free from immorality. True service is
obedience and fear ; by this, says Tuka-, you can
preserve the wealth you have acquired.

PlRST and foremost is renunciation of desire,
*• then regard for such, pn^nances as concern
one. One should view the body with indifferencer
Tuka says, Away with fear ! Look dispassionately
on the congenial and uncongenial.

11.— Sincerity

3330

JP|URN up all pretences, if there is aught want*^
""^ ing within ! We may call bad good, but the
end in view is still far from us. By haste you
will do harm, if you take delight in haste. Tuka:
says. This shows you have no patience ; your-
thoughts are not steady;

3331

CiNCERITY alone passes muster with us; we look
^ on everything else as waste of labour. Who
would value pleasant speeches as long as he cannot
make out the mind of him who utters them ? Tuk§

SINCERITY 197

fiays, All our troubles arise from knowledge; we
ought not even to look on this evil creature.

3332

'IXTHEN seed falls on deep, moist soil, it bears an
excellent crop ; the labour spent on shallow
soil is wasted. We will not barter anything for
false goods ; that will only waste the store in our
own bundle. Who is satisfied with a fine show iti
this world, a false exterior coupled with a real
desire for a bellyful ? Tuka says, That which will
pass the test of fire, that alone will pass muster
here — the genuine article.

3333

WHEN contentment is part of the mind's own
^ * nature, the mind is at peace ; it can never
turn back again to the world. Scrutinize articles
to see if they are genuine, and you will be saf6
against loss. The false article can be distinguished i
in lustre, it is far from the true. Tuka says, 1
prefer the true ; so I am not in a hurry to make my
choice.

3334

npHE shell of the cocoanut is hard, but the inside
is excellent. In accordance with this, remem-
ber, that purity inside is what we aim at. The
jack-fruit has a thorny rind, but it is sweet within.
The sugar-cane is hard and black without, but it
is well-flavoured within. Our food owes its flavour
to salt. Tuka says, The value of a thing depends

198 SINCERITY

lOn its inner.. Qualities; what. do its faults outside
matter?, ^

3335

A COPPER coin cannot compete with a coin of
':^^. real value, though you may carry it all tound
the country. Wise men approve of nothing arti-
.ficial ; they like to see a thing approved by the
elders. A crystal may look like a diamond, but ^
jfeweller will not cast a glance at it. You may
work up it piece of glass into a pearl, but a jeweller
will not hatJdle it. Tuka say^, What is the use oif
% coquette's finery? Your own mind will tell
itself what it thinks of it.

S336

npEST yourself, keep your aim unimpaired ; an
,' ornament purified in the fire receives addi-

tional lustre. You need converse with no one ; view
the world without concern ; your mind will find
repose. A man may deny that he has broken his
fast, but a belch will disclose the truth ; the liar*s
lie brings trouble on himself. Tuka says, The
praise and blame of others are both idle ; it is your
own attitude of mind that bears fruit.

3337

.A S long as a man has not subdued his senses,
;^*" what is the use of his crying 'Rama ' ? When
food is tainted by a fiy, it is not pleasant to eat it.
■If a man is to preach, his acts should correspond to
what he sets forth. If suph proof is not to be
found in him, his preaching is no better than a

TRUTHFULNESS 15$

song sung by a whore's handmaids Tuka says»
The saints will not let worldly passions contami-
nate them.

3338

A MAN who tells tales of battles, but has never
'^*" met a foe in the field, when he sees other,
men carrying burdens, his heart begins to quake^
But a man of generous temper, a king's warrior,
he strikes with his sword. Blessed are his father
and mother; penitence is bom in him when he
hears Hari's name. Tuka says. The words of the
saints are sword-blades ; they pierce the hearts of
the wicked.

3339

TF a man acts as he speaks, I will salute his feet ;
I will be his servant and sweep his courtyard
myself. I will wait on him with folded hands ; he is
a god, says Tuka ; I lay my faith at his feet,

TIL— CrttlMttlness

3340

"^[OT even God can set you free, so long as
^ you are moaning beneath imaginary blows.
Why do you not purify your idea of truth ? your
intellect is wasted, and you are whirled round in
error. What room is there for setting up yourself,
seeing that man is scattered among the five
elements ? Tuka says. You groan under a load,
because you think the false true.

200 HUMILITY

TlP-Rttittility

3341

/^UR peace is thy feet, O Consort of Kamalll !
^^ I bow down, I roll on the ground before them;
These alone I know, body, speech, and mind. I am
humble^among the people, says Tuka ; I am lowest
On the steps that lead to thee.

3342

npHE penitent man — he who has forgotten his
"*■ pride at the words of the ancient sages — let
him set his feet on my forehead ; it will be a time
of blessing when I eat the food left by him. They
who have spumed the six passions — who rush to
seek the Saints* protection — Tuka says, Their very
nature will be changed ; they will be pure at heart
even in their own homes.

3343

npHE man who stands up for a pubfic disputa-
tion will be caught by some opponent's trick.
How can the reed possess any strength of its own ?
It makes the water its ally. A violent man finds
his peer in strength ; while a humble man makes
himself free from oppression. Tuka says, That
which enters into union with all liquids finds an
ally in all of them.

3344

T DESIRE not the gift of sweet utterance; let a
growing faith dwell in my mind. Do not let your

PERSEVERANCE 201

life be parted from Narayana; then, though you have
not knowledge, you may very well be stupid. The
best lot in life for you is one which men dis-
praise ; the burden of dignity is useless. Tuka says,
l>et there be a settled faith in your soul-^
n^ercy, kindness, and peace with all creatures.

U — Peacefttlness

3346

TF you greet men with the words *A blessing on
you \ all sense of hostility vanishes. Narayana
has fully assured us of this, by the sense of love
he has planted in our hearts. These words put to
flight all anxious care. Tuka says. If you sing
this song, your own advantage comes forward to
meet you. , v

3346

f X-T ATE none ; be jealous of no being * ; this is our
. principle. Tuka says, Follow this principle

and you will be free from blame ; we offer you
teaching which will benefit you.

UL—Per$eperance

3347

ITH so much gained, should loss result,
whom will you blame in tl;e end ? Th^

202 PERSEVERANCE

valiant man bears every blow that falls on him ;
when once he has advanced his foot, he does not
draw it back. His danger I compare to the
obstacles that threaten us when we stray from the
feet of Govinda. The battle-field of life is a
critical place, says Tuka ; results will be propor-
tioned to the efforts you put forth.

3348

^XTHOSO stands on the shore of a stream he
must cross, he should not leap into the
water. He should adopt the same measures as
those who went before him ; he should not think
they look too easy. Moreover, says Tuka, the
onslaught of idleness often ruins a man.

3349

\X7E decide if a dinner is a good one by the last
morsel ; the same rule holds in every case.
You must not change your mind till the very last,
or alt the trouble you have taken will be wasted.
If you have assumed a part, you must carry it
through ; you will be ridiculed if you fall short in
it. Tuka says, If a man begins cooking, without
knowing the secrets of the art, his intelligence will
suffer a slur.

3350

A MAN imposes on himself a hasty impulse
'^^ towards faith ; but this is waste of effort and
a hindrance to steadiness. Let a man, therefore,
weigh carefully his proceedings ; that speech is
Wise which leaves something unsaid. Idle talk

GENERAL 20^

about renunciation is ostentatious pride; true
courage is shown in endurance ; it is part of a
man's nature. Tuka says, The right thing is a
fountain that wells up continually ; what use is a
mere pool where water collects ?

OIL— Cbe service of oibers

3351

TF a man rejoices over the misfortunes of others,
his pleasure and their pain and his censure too
recoil on himself. Harbour not such thoughts in
your mind ; do not store up for yourself a capital of
sin. This will linger in your mind as a torment
and aiHiction ; it will cast it into fife, till its place
of rest is burned up. Tuka says, Thus all your
merits will be destroyed ; what is destined for us^
the operation c^ our past brings to pass.

0Tn.-6mral

3352

TF we dash our head agiainst a rock we shall break
.• it, but the rock will not sweat in sympathy
with the pain it causes us. A man may rashly
adventure himself, hear a' live coal, but what
pleasure will he have in grasping it ? Tuka says,
If a man is sullen towards us, we look on his
silence as we look on that of the sky. .

204 GENERAL

3352 a

/^UR childhood lasted twelve years; that was
^^ wasted in ignorance ; thus our life passed vainly
away ; we served not the Lord of Pandhari. There
were left eighty- eight years, thirty of which were
spent in lustful desires. Thus fifty-eight were left ;
of these, thirty were spent in fond affection. Thus
twenty -eight were left, wherein we forgot body and
home. Tuka says, This is clear account; our
worldly life is but a span.

3362 b

TF the she-ass be in milk, can she compare with
the cow ? Hang garlands round the neck of
a crow, — will he thereby assume the grace of a
hansa. Wash an ape, and set the tila upon him^
can he go through the actions of a Bramhana ?
Should a Bramhana lose all his attributes,
still, says Tuka, he is supreme in the three
worlds.

3353

^ I ^HUS did a tiger seek to persuade a jackal,
•^ " Let me eat you up comfortably. You must
infallibly die some day ; why should you starve me
to death ? " " Excellent '* replied the other " You
have settled the proper course yourself. You are
bound to perish ; if you let me off, you will have a
good deed to your credit." " Oh ! but this is what
you ought to consider," says the other. When
one rogue meets another, this is how they natur-
ally talk, says Tuka.

GENERAL 20S

3354

A)^E should give food to all creatures, but money
^ " only after due consideration of their fitness ;
for we should only sow seed where it will grow^
Otherwise, while intending to do well, we may sin,
like one who should fatten a snake on milk, or
purchase sorrow for himself by reciting weird
spells. The earth is all the same to look at ; never-
theless, parts of the soil are rocky, parts gravelly^
and parts of black earth. Some are good, some
poor, and some middling. Hence, if you wish to do
right, you must first discriminate. Tuka says, A
choice dish prepared without sugar would have
no flavour.

3355

T WILL tell you exactly how many houses there
were in Lanka ; five lakhs of stone, and seven
of brick ; of bell-ijietal and copper, one crore ; of
pure gold, seven crores. Yet, says Tuka, he who
owned all this wealth took not one cowri to heaven
with him.

3356

^XTE need not court food or sleep ; they are
^ * ready to greet us themselves. Speech not
measured to the occasion is futile ; much or little^
it is a weariness to the flesh. He alone knows
self -content who knows when he has had enough
by signs within him. Tuka says. Do nothing
which will distress you ; then you may live as you
please. . >?

ZQ6 QENpRAL

3357

/^LOSE up every path of wandering ; enter no
^^^^ devious side-path in the jungle.

3358

\ .MAN cannot change his nature to save Jiis
_^ life; what is in him comes to the surface.
The iSapift disposition pervades him. within and
without ; he never grows tired of his own sentiments
9r giy^s th^m up. If you strike a diamond with a
liamnKOTy it enters the substance of the hamnier;
it pa^not r^ooupce its own enduring bardiiessL
Tuk$ $ay$, It is the nature of sandal to burn itself
and make others cool. :.

3359

T.F you sepajate the cow from - the calf, each is
"T moved by the comfort they, feel in each other.
We remark the persistent folly»of the n^n who
separates them, fore each pines after the other^
Hunger longs ior food ; in fact, food was created
to provide for hunger. Tuka says. Things move
according to the disposition they feel towards
each other.

3359 a

^A MAN'S likings malce themselves known ; his
nature shows itself by outw^^rd sign^. . Th^
thoughts of the heart come to the lips; attentic^i
assists the mind. The longings of the pregnant^
woman affect the unborn child ; a light is reflected
from a polished dish. Tuka says, We should, tafe:

GENERAL 207

Xhe course we think proper ; we should eat what we
think we ought to eat,

3360

TX7HEN food has once been cooked, if you
kindle fuel, it is wasted. Avoid, then, need-
less toil ; all excess is futile. Cherish this secret
truth, — that duty consists in doing what fits the
occasion. Tuka says, You will, comprehend this
when the time for action comes.

3361

TF the vi^ne be of nectar, the fruits are.of iiectar,
s^ and tihe seed afterwards will be of the same
itrain. Grant me, O Naraya^aj to dwell with meo
(^whose words are like nourishing moisture. The
best of food is that which comforts the throat, aod
shows itself in the sleekness and lustre of the body>
Tuka says,. We become like those we live with.;
ti^e odour oJF sandalwood cleaves even to inaii^'d
^body.

8362

AAT^HEN you see good men before you, let your
speech be without reprd&ch; this is right-
eousness ; you will .gain nothing hete hy passion.
Self-restraint is caUed for; a wise : man will
^recognize the occasion. Tuka Bstysj Much the best
(thing is meekctess.

^ 9363

.T^HE only man who can dd a r thing really
well is the man oa whose head that burdeb

208 GENERAL

is placed. Those who went before and those
who follow are alike unequal to the task ; experi-
ence shows this. Within the magic stone is
infinite gold ; but a base metal is all base within.
A man does his own allotted duty ; this secret, Tuka
knows.

3364

AX^HEN the mind lights on what it likes, it is
^ soothed and pacified. When the mind de-
lights in goodness, Narayana is not displeased.

3365

LIKE a diamond shattered by the touch of a
bug's blood, such is a holy man ruined by
dvil company. Even a good cow is ruined by the
company of an unruly one ; a moment is enough to
change her. Base metal will render gold impure,
6o that its value disappears by lakhs and crores.
Sweet dishes turn bitter if you poison them ; such
is the effect of bad company on men, Tuka says»
with full assurance. Good company is the best;
bad company will keep you in the cycle of the
eighty-four.

. 3366

npHE monkey knows the cocoanut by its outer
"*■ rind alone ; but one who eats it takes off its
covering* One drinks the juice, another's mouth
is filled with earth ; they have each his own portion
assigned them. If you give milk and rice to a dog,
he vomits them up ; but they will nourish amply
one who can enjoy them. Tuka says, Fools bear
the load; wise men carry away the essence.

GENERAL 209

3367

CHOULD I be beaten by mankind, I would set
^^ myself far from the world ; then, in my misery,
I would slowly remember God. Should dishonoui^
overtake me, should misfortune, 'twOuld be well;
The -best thing that can happen to uSj says Tuka,
is that our dignity should perish.

3368

npHE contented in spirit will join with me;
they will come when they hear my call;
they will say, We two are one. Tuka says, In^
our speech, they perceive the marks of Vitthala.

3369 :

^^UR parents do not know what is best for us;-
^^ they teach us the rules of worldly conduct.
If a blind man grasps a blind man's stick, both
leader and follower will come to grief at once. W^
must not istep ahead too hastily ; deliberation is
needed ; it is the bait on the hook which sticks in'
the fish's throat. Tuka says. The horse and hia
ritier come at once to a decision which is to be;
mdbster.

3370

CTONE images, fjpr religion, golden slippers ta
^ wear, these the rich may possess ; if a man of
no name carries a rich - man's seal, people will
recognize it, though they may think little of him.
Tuka says. Those persistent claims are a mistake ;
each should take refuge in his lot.

210 GENERAL

3371

fT^HOSE who wield the weapon of fotgiveness
■ — what can the wicked do to them? If a
forest fire breaks out ^here there is no grass, it
must die out of its own accord. Tuka says, For-,
^iveness benefits all mankind ; practice it continue
ally, and make yourselves happy.

3372

npO revile any one is. sinful;, to grieve any man
^ is to grieve God. Therefore I have diligent-
ly taught my mind to think of God and nothing
else. Even though we set our tongue in motioa to
serve other men, still, the sinful taint of the worlds
clings to it. Tuka says, Our souls are subject to
their past ; who will save us from distress ? What
gladdens our eyes is pity.

3373

1^X7"E delight in the company of a man whose
y^ mind harmonises with ours; if a man
irritates us, it is best to keep away from him.
This view has come down to us from many gens--
rations ; every one makes it a rule to leave undesir-
able people alone. We should never associate with
people whose nature is different from our own, be
it father, son, relative, or any one else. Tuka says.
This true maxim we should observe; we should
not do otherwise.

3374

^TpHOUGH a man may not have tasted food
for seven days, still, he should not neglect.

FREEDOM FROM THE SENSE OF SELF 211

a preaching. Though our head, be broken and
•our body cut to pieces, stilly we should not cease to
:sbout aloud his name. Tuka says» If a man is
thus resolved concerning God's name, God dwells
with him for ever. *

TX — f reeaoin from iDe
sense of self

3376

TT is the sense of self which divides us from hiiil
and ruins us; it is this which, in this world,
pollutes us. He whom it touches not, he is blest ;
he is a light to lighten his family. This sense of
self is self -slaughter ; it keeps us from attaining
the truth. Tuka says, It leads a man to hold his
head high and keep on complaining.

3376

TF two friends are equally rich, they treat each
^ othdr as equals; there is peace in one spot
between them. When, however, there is no spring
of sympathy in their Hearts, but only artificial
courtesy on each side, friendship is like a pool of
Stagnant water which may yatnish. The magic
stone changes the mature of iron, as the wise change
the nature of fools; but the change is only one iii
name, the stone remains a stone. Tuka says, A^

212 BE IMPARTIAL TO ALL MEN

long as there is not a spirit in men that recognizes:
their two souls as one, nothing passes between?
them but idle amusement. . ■ . ^

X.--Be impartial to all men

3377

XT NOW that the whole earth is pure; what is
"^^ impure is desire. Thus people are vexed
without cause, and give up the fray before they ^^
wounded. All men are gods.; it is base doubt that
strips^ them. Tuka says, When we banish this
sense of difference, then all are pure.

3378

T LOOK on all men as gods, thus I have forgot-
^ ten my own faults and virtues. The image in
the mirror seems distinct from the object, but it
is really the same with it. Tuka says, When th^
stream meets the sea, it loses its own water.

3379

XJOW can the pure and the impure be sorted
**• out, when even the skin and flesh of men
cannot be separated ? With God, no quality makes
a thing great or small. Is water a different things

BE IMPARTIAL TO ALL MEN 213

according as it comes from a stream, a well, a
rivulet, or a river ? Does the sun choose out rays
for different purposes? His splendour sucks up
all moisture alike. The milk of different cows does
not vary in colour ; it is the same in the case of all.
You cannot distinguish between different kinds Of
•^arth, but pots have different names according as
they are prepared in different ways. Fire behaves
.always in the same way; it does not consider ope
sort of fuel pure, and another impure. Tuka says.
The fitiiess of the receiver is the point we should
consider; — or sljall we. say that nectar is sweet if
it is mixed with poison ?

3380

'TpRUE worship of all is to cherish all creatures ;
envy of others brings weariness with it.
Let the object of our resentment and irritation be
ourselves ; then the rest of the world we shall look
on as Hari. This, says Tuka, is to be truly a
saint — to identify our own soul with the souls of
all men.

3381

I^^ILK yields curds, butter, and ghee ; so, like-

wise, all visible creatures are united by a

common nature. Behold, various ornaments are

made of gold; but they share in the common

nature of gold. Various vessels are moulded out

•of clay ; but as clay they are all identical. Tuka

-says, The same One is one and many; unity

pervades multiplicity.

214 COMPASSION

XL— Compassion

3382

^XTERE an enemy to offer you his neck, yott
should spare him ; you should protect aL
suppliant at the risk of your own life. Men of
power swear by reason ak)ne ; let the good, there*
fore reason out when is right and wrong. Tuka
says, By preserving his good name, honour, anil
success, does a man attain to God.

Cife under tbe influence

of Religion

3383

A LL my anxious cares are with Vitthoba ; if I
'^^ forget him for a moment, I lose a profit
worth many lakhs. The feet of my Vifthoba with-
in my heart are like the plant that revives the
dead.

3383 a

/^UR natural bent is to simple faith ; tibe .^pleh^
^^ dours of dialectic can never find a place with
tts. The mother knows all her child's ways ; she
never lets it irritate her ; she puts it to her breast.
O Merciful One! You may assume any shape;
but I must not let anything pollute my mind ; I
must not take pleasure in anything save thy wor-
ship. Let me dream of thy form, and utter thy
name with my lips, says Tuka, whether my eyes
are set on men, or on things liquid or solid.. ,,

216 INFLUENCE OF RELIGION

3383 b

npH AT my spirit was reborn within his spirit, this
is the doing of my master. If he bestows the
gift of his favour upon me,' then I shall see his
wondrous work. If a fearless spirit is implanted
in me, his orders I shall obey. To spread devotion
abroad, we employ the services of bards. For pur
success, our master must answer ; the servants
need do nothing but serve. Tuka says, To one as
persistent as I am, some answer should be
vouchsafed.

3384

AX7HEAT can be prepared in many forms ; the
tongue dances through the pleasure they
give. Though the dish be finished, yet pleasure in
it reappears, as the sea shows us waves following
each other. The. mother never forgo tsi her child 1
though puce she has suckled it, she suckles; it agatil
and again. Tuka says. Some sweet juice i$ left
in the mouth, and we taste it again and again.

3385

CUCH as sincerely oiBfer thismselves to God, and
^ humble themselves before all mankind, they
are masters of all glory. God will not suffer th6iA
to break away from himself ; yet, so strong is thfeir
devotion, that they keep a place of their own.
Whether with their knowledge or without it, this
state has passed over them, so God accommodates
himself to their desire. Tuka says, Better far is
the life of the child, for the mother nourishes him
at her breast.

INFLUENCE OF RELIGION 217

3386

'TpHET name of Hari has spread abroad like
a creeper ; it is loaded wffli fruits and flowers.
Perch on it, O my soul, like the prince of birds,
to accomplish thy full satisfaction. The original
seed foretold the sweetness which was soon to be
realized. Tuki says. Time fleets by moment
after moment ; that sweet savour .will pass away. :

3387

npUKA says, I have suff<ered no obstacle to keep
me back ; I have suff'ered no delay.

3388

jT^OME, let us vanquish this Kali age ; it is feeble
^^ in comparison with our strength. Let us take
our fill of passion, revel, frolic, laughter, and mirth.
Twist your necks, if you will, and chatter nonsense ;
Narayana loves that every one should please him-
self. Dance, therefore, as ye will before each
other ; here, there is neither great, nor small, nor
lowly. Tuka says. Let no one interrupt the course
of love ; to distinguish God from his worshippers
would be a sin.

3389
JVlY mind has grown sick of the world.

3390

^T^HROUGH love for his attributes, I lengthen

. . out my speech ; I have forgotten everything

■else. From beginning to end, there is nothing to

218 INFLUENCE OF RELIGION

part us ; soul is merged in soul. Tuka says, My
body is rendered altogether cool, by thia joy of
Bramha.

3391

12Y constraining speech, I have laid hold of
^^^ Bramha ; I have put away every other effort.
Name and f(»rm have been tied up in a bundle^
and we have got rid of them all at once. Tuk^
says, All delay on the road has been ended ; deliv-
erance has been put into our hands.

3392

TlIRTH, possessions, lineage, they enjoy the

advantage of all these who have Narayana

stored up in the vessel of the ^ heart. There is

neither rising nor setting to their lustre, says Tuka;

3393

fTpHE mind plays and hovers round your feet^
' imagining it is doing right ; at last it settles^

on them. No false dealings are any use here, for
thou knowest the heart, O Panduranga t We have
made Time to be as though it were not, by handing
over to thee our pains and pleasures,.

3394

T^Y desires have been realized in this, that
Hari's name has come to my lips. Let us
feed on it now to our heart's content, so that nothings
will be left behind. We have as much as we want
stored up. Tuka says, These three letters, Vifthala^
have brought this to pass.

INFLUENCE OF RELIGION 219^

3395

T HAVE seen the whole world as Vitthala ;. this-
has- soothed my frame.

3396

/^OD has given me a place where I need not
^^ die, a place in his own house, where I have
ample room. Tuka says, Now we dwell together ;.
^ mine ' and ' thine 'have vanished.

3397

npH IS speech that I utter, these flowers of words,,,
let them lie at l^t on thy feet. I have bidden
farewell to the body, and given up all consciousness
of it; I have bani^ed all difference between my
soul and the soul of God. I have laid my soul at.
thy feet, says Tuka ; fulfil my earnest petition !

3398

rr^HE exchange has now taken place ; why should'
: we consider which of us is larger or smaller ?'

We have fallen into each others hands, so now we
are both free from care. Neither of us can draw ^
back now, since all has taken place before witnesses.
Tuka says. What room is there left for desire ?

3399

T HAVE surrendered my sense of self to you, I

have given up my own place in the world ; I am

now entirely under your control. I have killed

220 INFLUENCE OF J^ELIGION

myself, and you have established yourself in me.
Tuka says, Neither *I* nor 'mine' exists here
-now. . ,

3400

A S pure as is the Ganges stream, so pure is the
'^^ portion in our cooking- pot. We like our
meal better at each mouthful, when we are feeding
on the juice of Bramha. With such choice dishes
before us, we delight in them, even when we are
satisfied. Tuka says, Whien the mind is pure^ it
enjoys Narayana.

3401

•

tfOW handsome we look when we are singing
- ■*■ Hari*s praises 1 Yet we wear neither dress
nor jewels; we haye the world for our servant*
This, says Tuka, is the effect of thy service, O
Hari.

3402

"IXT^E feel disposed to eat what we have been used
, to eating ; we meet with loving joy a friend

whom once we met. We never weary of Pand^i-
i*anga ; our longing for him grows upon us. The
desire of our senses to behold him may be satisfied
and stilled ; but the mind continues for ever to
meditate on him. Tuka says, We fill pur stomachs^
but we are hungry still.

3403

^1X7 HEN we truly remember God all feUf departs

from us. We need not be anxious; he

has power to control all things. Our faith dwells

INFLUENCE OF REXIGION 221

steadfastly at his feet ; when this is so, God is
near us. Tuka says, As we utter Krishna's name,
a peaceful love to all men is bom within us«

3404

TJTOW did we grow so fond of him ? It has
, brought many quarrels on us. Men likie me^
the world says, are mad after God. He has come
forth from solitude ; though he be veiled, he capnot
be hidden from us. Tuka says. When we meet
him, we are severed from ourselves.

3405

TJANOURANGA has showed me no favour; I
"*• fill my belly along with the saints. When
men of skill are gathered together, the learned and
the talented assemble ; I am but a feeble slave of
Vishnu. Tuka says, I know not how to satisfy
objectors ; I hold fast the feet of Vitthoba.

3406

T AM amused to hear my mind and my soul
conversing together of their joy and delight in
the Spotless One. When we have well digested
our food, we retaste the flavour of it from time to
time ; the pleasure it gives us increases our desire
iot it. The bliss of solitude has penetrated my
soul; I have grown. sick of the world. My intelli*
gence will never again be fit for the world ; I haya
addicted myself to your feet, O Gbvinda. Tuka_
says, This is my settled conviction ; my mind has-
found repose in Panduranga.

222 INFLUENCE OF RELIGION

3407

^T^H ROUGH the controlling power of ovr
master, the secret is first placed in our hands ;
as we advance, the greater and greater is our
gain. I utter fond and foolish words, but they
come moist from the very core of my being ; a
father and mother love the endearing prattle of
their child. My mind mingles with his ; I am
truly wise, not by repute alone. I have brought
to the surface the signs of his grace within me. I
am not wearied by length of time ; I have watched
^very moment with wakeful care ; Tuka will not
leave God for one moment.

3408

TJY churning, we bring forth for use the essence
of milk ; but even those who get the butter-
milk are glad of it. Sweet is the fruit of toil ;
•experience teaches men how delightful it is.
Cooking and well -flavoured food — how can we ex-
pect to find these everywhere ? Tuka serves out
such food to the row of saints ; he loves to associate
with them.

3409

T^IGHT is vanished ; I do not see how sleep can
■*• ever overpower me now, I have built my
home in Narayana ; I shall enjoy eternal joy. I
have fenced the place round ; .1 have cleared it of-
this idle * my * and * mine *. Let us live together,
says Tuka ; we shall not be parted for a moment.

INFLUENCE OF RELIGION 223

3410

T^Y mouth revels in this juice of love ; it delights
*' ^ in it hugely. Tuka says, Vitthala is a
measure true and ample, sufficient for our needs,

3411

T^Y feet have travelled along this path ; in the
^ ^ feet of the saints, I have beheld him. My
^ns are destroyed ; poverty has harried them to
death ; at the same time, too, it has purified my body.
Tuka says, All my concerns have ended well ; my
rebirth has borne fruit.

3412

\JU HEN you see faith in me, you will take steps
^ to ensure my welfare. I feel neither pleasure
nor pain nOr anxiety about such things; this is
still my mood, whatever desires may cross my
mind. Do thou break these fetters from off me,
without imposing any toil on me* Tuka says,
I am free from care ; I have embr^^ced the bliss of
solitude with Panduranga. ^ .

3413

'^/HAT need the suppliants care for birth or
t death ? On their lips is the life-giving name,

O Bearer of the Disc ! In their hearts is reflected
thy shape fully out-lined; how can the world,
extend its limits there ? Tuka says. Under the
shelter of thy feet, we can trample down the Kali
age.

224 INFLUENCE X)F. HEUGION

3414

O ENUNCIATION and pleasure we unites when
^ we sing of Panduranga ; we repel the assault
of the senses. Once for all we repose ; the mind
is restless no more ; Vithala takes all our burden
upon him. Like a mother-bird, he brings us food
in his bill and claws ; he brings it home to us, and
puts it in his children's mouths. Tuka says,
'^hrough this love of his, we hs^ve sunk ourselves
'm the sea of his feet ; the treasure of our births in
the past, all that we have gained, is there.

3415

IXT^E shall eat this meal ready-prepared for us ;
^ ^ there are no hills we need climb ; this will
open up still further our trade in happiness. We
have gotten for an inheritance our place at thy
feet; no stranger can encroach on it. We have
sacrificed our souls for it ; we have forgotten the
very name of everything else. We have embraced
a faith in One alone; our assurance has borne
fruit.. Tuka says, We have grown to be sturdy
fellows ; we have a place very close to thee ; da
thou make good now the words we have uttered.

3416

"XXTE are free from fear, where there is no cause
for repentance in the soul. Where there is
an eager desire for God, what taint can make that
heart impure ? As soon as you confess your sin, he
lets not a particle of it remain. Tuka says, Our
souls are penetrated by his love.

INFLUENCE OF RELIGION 225

3417

TJOW can God be far from those that pray to
^ him for compassion ? A child petitioning need
not cling to his mother ; she knows what sweets to
give him. If a man pints his weight into a boat,
the farther shore is not far from him. Tuka has
now left mankind ; he^ is transported to another
land. .

3418

T SHALL no more suffer my mind to be divided ;
^ I shall not leave Vitthoba*s feet. I shall not
let the wind of any other blow upon my body. I
shall now come and go with God; this I have
done since that day. What, have I lost all, that I
should disquiet myself ? There is Panduranga,
standing before and behind me. Tuka says, I ask
for abounding love — for the fruits of Vaikuntha to
be enjoyed on earth.

3419

A LAMP-WICK gives forth a light when you
'^^ light it; but a diamond shines naturally.
Some accumulate wealth by great exertions ; some
have it presented to them by good fortune. The
sandal-tree has fragrance as its characteristic ; the
man is an ass who tries to separate them. Tuka
says, If a man bears the impress of Hari, he is
not only saved, as a matter of course, but he is
honoured by men.

226 INFLUENCE OF RELIGION

\ . . . ^ :

3420

"IX^E forgot that we exist ; such is our state, that,
in the body, we escape from the body.
Tuka says, We have become like fire ; we shall
not let sin or merit touch us.

3421

I^^Y faith is not like the labour of a man im-
pressed ; no unproductive means do I adopt.
I do not merely attach thy form to my soul ; my
innermost desire is set on thee. As a miser counts
bis coppers, so I count my time by minutes and
Seconds. O Lord of the world, says Tuka, stand
close by my side.

3422

TT^HE man whom he takes for his associate he
. makes like himself ; so, many a time, I have
run to and from him. If a man is disposed to
love him, he kindles love within him, and he
entangles though he does not fetter him. Tuka
says, In tales concerning thy name, we do suffi-
ciently meet thee, O God !

XVI

Our JlttitNde towards
tbe morld

!•— Cbe Problem

3423

\X7E dwell both with God and the world ; we
stand with loins girt up to pass from one
scene to the other. We speak the language of
both sides ; our service gives us authority over our
Lord. His command was revealed but once ; we
must act according to the rules he gave. Tuka
says, I make obeisance to him, standing where I
^tood.

3424

'TpHE body is a sweet placed in the way that
leads to death ; this much I have learned full
easily. But this it is I ask in wonder — What have
men found durable in it ? The course of our past
has made it a mere channel for divers experi-
ences. Tuka says, We poor creatures cannot solve
this riddle.

228 OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE WORLD

3425

T ET us quaff this nectar, for we know of none
^^ other. Pleasure ,^an^' pain, suffering and
disease we must endure, according as they are
reserved for us. What I aspire to, O God, says
Tuka> is thy ieet. : , ' " '• ". -^

3426

A^jTATER is steady where its-^ bed is smooth,
^ ^ and unfitfeady where it is rough ; a broken
slope sets it roaring. The secret is easy, but
people do not control their mind; the demon of
error is deeply rooted in the mind. Water cannot
break up the orb of the sun ; imitate htm and not
his reflection. Tuka says, A man dreads a rope
till the truth has penetrated his mind.

3427

'HpIS thou, O Vitthala, that art real ; why then
■*" hast thou shown us this outward form of the
world? Rein in and rule this illusion of thine!
I cry aloud to thee; why hast thou stricken us
thus with fear ? Thou hast given a niaime to a
thing that has truly no form ; thou hast raised up
empty solicitudes. Tuka says. What moved thee
to show this subtlety, when thou wast free from
all form, from all concern ?

3428

npHROUGH the evil destiny of man, this pur*

"*" pose entered into thee; now, though we

purify ourselves, we cannot attain to thee. If this

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS T'HE WORLD 229

diversion of thine perished, what should we miss?
As it is, thou hast set a difference between us and
thee. Show me where sin and merit exist in
embodied forms ; why dost thou lead us to dream
they exist ? Now, says Tuka, away with this
jugglery; it is a groundless torment, O Pandu-
ranga.

3429

/^UR parents did not know our true .interests;
^^ they instructed us in the ways of the world.
We are like a blind .man grasping the stick of a
blind man in front of him ; they will perish both of
theni together, in front and rear. We should not
follow the ways of men ; we should give the case
due consideration ; the bait at the end of the line
brings the fish to the hook. Tuka says, 1 have
made a decision swift and sure, separating at once
the rider from his horse.

3430

npHIS whole universe is a sport of thine; thou
hast put it together with subtle skill. Thou
Jiaist set the spirit of seslf between us and thee ; it
stands as an obstacle before us and the world.
Come before us as' thoy: art in thyself ; thou know-
est how to show and how fo hide thyself. How
long, says Tuka, will thou torment us ?

3431

T TEACH others to understand the words I
* learned myself ; the mirrored image of a trea-
sure is useless to others than the owner. How

230 WE SHOULD MAKE TttE MOST OF IT

can I make real experience my own ? This
problem stands before liie. I sing, I dance, I go
through the postures prescribed for the body ; but
it is you who must give me the secret of the skill
which leads ta attainment. Tuka says, I cannot
bear the delay you have made ; if you will give it
me, I am fully prepared for it.

3432

"^TOT the space of a seed is empty of the^ in
^ the whole world, so the world assures us.
Ascetics, saints, and sages have declared thou art
everywhere. Trusting to this, I sought thy pro-
tection ; I am a creature of thine from ancient
limes. Thou pervadest all the worlds, and art yet
left outside them ; there is no place where I cannot
find thee. ' There is no limit to my nature and
therefore I cannot meet my worshippers' — Is
such thy opinion, and hence thou comest not ? O
tell us, says Tuka, how to reach thy feet.

TL— Cbat we sbouia make tbe

most of it

3433

TF *mine' and * thine' vanish, then this burden

will be lightened. There will be nothing then

to do or undo, for the world is naturally pure. "It

is desire and the snare of illusion that have put

WE SliOULD-MAKE THE MOST' OF IT ^2^

the halter on our nelcks.-. Be ready to honour
pleasure when it comes ; do not moan over sorrows.
If you do but utter Narayana's name^ if you count
gain and loss the same, honour and dishonour,
then, says Tuka, your life may truly *. be called
pure. ^

3434

TX^HY should we lead abject lives ? Our past
brings us into the world ; the right thing,
then, is a steady spirit of courage. Whatever may
betide us can be no great disaster. Tuka says. If
God is merciful to us, all is well.

3435

T HAVE to undergo unremunerative bodily toil ;
I am not void of actions, like you. I will not
spare anything now ; I will employ all my powers
to worship you. Not that I hope for anything
from you; I am quite indifferent to my body's
needs. Tuka says. My disquietude has vanished.

3436

npHE body given us by God is excellent for his
service ; yet it has become a field fruitful in
error and confusion. When a man stiffens and
straightens his neck through self-conceit, there is
no bending it. Such a man cannot frame his
tongue to call himself a servant of God, but he
opens wide his throat for wanton speech. Tuka
says, Where shalll go to. leave this filth behind
me, and purify myself by ablution ?

232 WE SHOULD RENOUNCE IT

3437

TXTHEN we need sugar, we buy it at a grocer's
. shop ; what concern have we with his caste

or family ? A tulsi-plant may spring upon a heap
of refuse; why should we reject it because it ^rew
in such a place ? A cow feeds naturally on filth ;
is that any reason why we should not drink her
milk ? Tuka says, What have we to do with the
rind of the jack-fruit ? We should take out the
seeds and eat them.

3438

/^IVE up the sugar, but enjoy its sweetness ;
^^ give up the salt, but enjoy its saltness. So
give up the world, and thereby you will attain to
God.

1TL— Cbat we sbouia renounce it

3439

npHE world is a foul place ; the very sight of
it is pollution. Our duty here is to show
kindness to all creatures; this is the conclusion to
which truth leads us. This is not merely my own
opinion; I call in the saints to bear witness to it.
Tuka says, Taught by experience, the soul will
also avow the same.

WE SHOULD KENOUHCE IT 233

3440

npHE cause brings about its result ; desire brings
about weariness. What avails then such
attachment ? Eagerly let us contemplate Pandu-
ranga. Men beat their breast in passion for him,
while yet they do not truly love his form ; they are
more and more enraptured with his outer shap^,
says Tuka. ,

3441

•

TJ Y making void the world, we have brought into
existence a course of duty ever broadening
and full of merit. The worship of Hari has
conferred lustre on the world ; the assault of Kali
has been repulsed. I need no means of approach
now; I have done what was needed; I have given
up all sense of the body. Tuka says, In the story
of Hari is the bliss of mystic union; he who sings
it knows naught of the misery of the world.

3443

/^IVE me that contemplation of thee which
^^ destroys Time, which leads one away from
wealth, honour, and the world. When the body
dies we must leave behind bile^ phlegm, and wind;
while as yet all my . members are active, I have
once for all sent up this cry to thee* Thou, says
Tuka, art the creator of all these; thou art also the
hearer of all this.

234 WE SHOULD RENOUNCE IT

3444

npO the disillusioned, the body is a thing of
nought ; they have no desire for anything.
Tuka says, My longing is to approach thy feet.

3445

"^TEITHER father, mother, nor wealth can ac-
^ company you ; you must suffer that which
your store of merit brings to pass. Consider then
what will really advantage you ; do not attach your-
self to the ways of the world. You will, some day,
leave life behind you ; there is no reality about the
body. Tuka says. Time has taken in hand the
measure ; he is gathering up thy sin and merit.

3446

CiN means persistent attachment to the world ;
the Yogi must give up all desires. When
such a treasure is so easy to come by, why do you
waste words ? What is there you may not compass,
when you have the means to it in the mind itself ?
Take this comfortable path, says Tuka, and break
the head of desire.

3447

T WAS far from thee while I cherished doubts of
my own ; I did not understand the true nature
of the distinction between us. Now thou shalt be
my companion everywhere ; I shall not leave thee
-anywhere space to hide in. The illusive world
made me late in coming to thee ; hence this distancie

WE SHOULD RENOUNCE IT 235

that was left between us. Tuka says, Why
dost thou show thyself as separate from us?
What a waste of labour is the game of hide-and-
seek 1

3448

npIME pursues me as though I were a sheep ;
this is his point of attack — the worthless
notion of *me* and *mine*. I have carried on my
head a burden of unreality ; there is no reality in
it when a man sees through it.^ Tuka says, I have
brought near me what was far from me ; it was
the mirage that lay between us.

3449

TT is best if, from the first, you form no attach-
ment to the world ; it is death to the over-
-trustful, so they say. Think honestly what is best
for me, O Panduranga ! I have no faith, but I call
myself thy slave ; why, says Tuka, dost thou find
it wearisome to save the distressed ?

3450

TF any one expresses a desire to you, you keep

the petitioner far from you. I, therefore, have

.done away with all desires; it is desire that is the

root of difference. Through thy love for me, there

•flows a stream of milk from thy breast. Tuka

says, Speak out in answer to my prayer.

3451

A S I eat and drink at home, I meditate on hife
'^^ name at each mouthful ; I keep awake from

236 WE SHOULD RENOUNCE IT

moment to moment, for I fear lest any other them^
should enter my mipd. I stand outside the
courtesies of life, the proceedings in which men
display their pride and love of honour. Tuka has
grown wiser ; he hides himself, for shelter, behind
Narayana.

3452 A

npHREATEN me not, mind of mine ; I have
turned my back on the cares of the world.
Whatever plans men form, though they be guiltless,
lead to sin. They engender fear, they bring
tribulation on the soul. Tuka says, Whatever
happens, I will look ou ;. I will dwell in peace.

3453 :

npHIS is what I have gained, O Vifthala—
*** prostration of myself before thee ; I speak
of nothing else. Where do other things bring us
any fruition ? By fitting means, must ends be
gained. Tuka says. We roust burn up the impulses
which crowd in upon us. -

:■ \ ;. ■ 3404

'XT'ILE as I arti, I am disgusted with this body
^ ' ' ' 6f mine ; it is quite enough for me that I
^lave once more been associated with a thing of
this kind. How often must I die in time to come ?
I cling to Vitthoba. Who will honour this body
now ? Let shame fall oh it. Tuka says, What I
,aband(Hi> I will abandon for ever ; who would b^'so
.^lowardly ^s to turn back from this act.

WE -SHOULD RENOUNCE IT 237

3456

T .^T us store up virtues ; let us not walk on any
. other path. Men crave various pleasures ^
they enter devious tracts and weary themselves.
We, however, have the gathering of the saintsi
appointed us to join. Tiika says, I look with
astonishment on the way mankind amuse them-
selves.

3456

"NjARAYANA loves unity ; he is grieved by any
"^ ^ estrangement from him ; so we should not
suffer the smallest change to pass over us. We
should do away with all nonsense, and escape froni
the idle uproar of men ; the true place of joy
is solitude. Body, speech, and mind, if you
devote yourselves to the contemplation of his
primal form, you will reach it as swiftly as an
arrow cleaves its mark. Tuka says, Set a stone
on sloth and sleep ; be persevering ; know that
only while embracing him are you awake.

3457

TN accumulating riches, you move further and
further from God ; you drift down the stream
of life. Th^re is nothing you need; faith alone
will bring you to the goal. I swear by Vitthala,
savs Tuka.

3458

"you may heap up millions of riches, but not a

rag leaves the world with you. You may

chew betel-leaves beyond number, but your face

238 WE SHOULD RENOUNCE IT

will be wan when you depart. You may love beds
and mattresses and cushions, but you will keep
company at last with the cow-dung cakes. Tuki
says, Rama is our only refuge ; if you forget him,
you will suffer misery.

3459

npHE story of a battle is pleasant in the ears,
but to take part in one is agony. The
worship of Hari is like a cake on a pole ; the men
who distinguishes himself by capturing it is a rare
hero. If we fatten up the body, it becomes a
henchman of pleasure ; the lord of Vaikuntha
forsakes it. Tuka says, We ought to fling away
the body, to gain the consort of Rakumini.

3460

CTRIP the leaves from trees and eat them;
remember Narayana incessantly. Wrap round
your waist the bark of trees, and wear it ; forget
that you have a body. Think of men's praise as
though it were food vomited up ; live in solitude
for Vitthala's sake. Maintain no friendly bearing
towards the world ; dwell by yourself in the
wilderness. Whoso makes this his resolve, says
Tuka, his cravings will be cleared away.

3461

TpH ROUGH his illusive manifestations, men

are so deceived, that they fall into sin by

various actions. Yet why should we love or

honour the world ? It is well to set it far from us.

WE SHOULD RENOUNCE IT 239

Various passions and fancies dwell within us ; even
great ascetics have been severely tormented by
them* Thus do I teach thee, says Tuka, O mind. !
Be thou ashamed henceforth.

3462

'\^irOMEN, sons, and wives are part of the
^ illusion of the world ; none of them is a

reality at the. latter end. They hand us over
bound to Yama ; they strip the ornaments off our
corpse. How can we trust thieves like these?
We cling to your waist, says Tuka.

3463

A^iTE should not form many projects in all sorts
of directions. When a man is not head of a
village or a district, if he takes on himself the office
of a village -accountant — well, you need not go far
to look for sin ; if you want to see it, you will find
it with him. Another man takes up the collection
of tolls; sin is always at home with him. The
sale of cows, buffaloes, and ghee — those who carry
it on are rogues. Observe, says Tuka, There is no
room for merit in these trades.

3464

npHE projects we form are the sources of sin
and merit. They originate in the mind ; the
mind conforms itself to the fancies that arise in it.
When we refuse to do or not to do, to stir or to
advance, then call us good. Tuka says, Our life
may truly be called a sea.

240 WE SHOULD RENOUNCE IT

3466

T\^ORLDLY life and life with the highest— he
^^ who acts both parts together, in the end
he achieves neither. If a man seeks to lay his
hands on two grain-pits at once, he will end by
destroying himself.

3466

npHE ignorant seek for wealtt through devotion ;
how can there be any true perception in their
souls? The ignorant offer worship with their
thoughts full of desire; how can they bring God
before their minds ? They perform rites with their
thoughts set on gain; how can they find means
of approach wherein are no selfish aims? Their
knowledge is of objects sensuous; how can they
attain to the eternal Bramha? Fie on their faces!
says Tuka; they recruit the bandit-hordes of
ignorance.

3467

ATL/'HAT of the million means of salvation? If
we try them, they are labour lost. If God
shows us his favour, this will add lustre to our form.
Vain was all the trouble we took, as long as we did
not relinquish the world. Tuka says, Now we
know that every thing follows its own nature.

3468

TT is well now; I learned my lesson this very

morning. Keep me no more upon this earth ;

a mistake was made when I came here. I knew

WE SHOULD RENOUNCE IT 241

not that the age before me would bring such
consequences with it. Tuka says, Keep me, if you
must, in this hell of a world, to finish my lot.

3469

TF you live with thieves, your mind grows like
theirs. When you see a rag, your thoughts
will run out to appropriate it. If you live with
lecherous men but a moment, when you see a girU
your thoughts will run after her. Renounce the
love of the world and its entangling snares. I have
but one thing to tell "you, says Tuka, Sing the
consort of Rukmini.

3470

"VTOU cannot make a bow of a pestle, or extract
juice from a stone by squeezing it. A barren
woman will never yield milk, nor a flint grow soft
if you boil it. The mirage will never fertilize the
nine continents; you cannot force a mountain to
touch the sky. The perishable body will never
become Bramha. If you try to bring such things
about, says Tuka, you will be wasting your pains.

3471

TT'ERBAL knowledge is far removed from this
secret; motions of the hand and spells will
not bestow the experience which is needed. Joy
and anger roll in on us like waves; lust and wrath
leave us on the shore of the stream. Devotion
will not succeed at Vitthoba's feet, unless we have

242 WE SHOULD RENOUNCE IT

renounced the world. Tuka says, Bliss comes
when we throw off the body; as we meditate on
him, time after time, we become merged in him.

3472

'\]I7^ERE food of all the six flavours cooked and
spread on potsherds and set in public
places in the dead of night, men of principle would
neyer touch it ; dogs would devour it at their
leisure. Even so, the worshippers of Hari look on
wicked actions ; they have given up their love of
sensual pleasures ; they look on this world, yea, and
the next, as polluted places. Tuka says, This
service is what I delight in; fulfil my desire for it,
day by day.

3473

A LL the world is false and illusive ; I have no
^^^ power to discern the real. It is all legerde-
main, and I think it all genuine; as I look upon it,
it all vanishes. I am now grieved within me; tell
me speedily of some remedy. I see not what is to
become of me ; I have laid my head at thy feet.
Save me, O Infinite One, says Tuka.

XYII

Cbe $aint$

L— Cbeir Cbaracter

3474

'T^RUE happiness in the world is to be penniless ;
Hari's people are one kin. Their steadfast
courage cannot be crushed ; their devotion is a
sentiment that never fails. Be they hungry or
thirsty, they ever remember God. Tuka says,
These are they whose wealth is their own Narayana.

3475

'T^HE knowledge of Bramha comes with piteous
cries to their doors; but the servants of
Vishnu treat it lightly. It tries to force its way in,
but they drive it away. Tuka says, No efforts are
needed here ; it falls on the neck of those who are
indifferent to it.

3476

\7^0U may call a woman mad with passion, when

she tears off her clothes and strips herself

naked. What significance belongs to mere talk ?

244 THEIR CHARACTER

Inside and outside mean different things. The
sight or 6ven the taste of the mirage will not
satisfy thirst. You may call him stout-hearted
who goes on his way without waiting for anyone*
Tuka says, These are the characteristics which
form the ornaments worn by the saints.

3476 a

/^OME, plunder this bliss of love, take your
^^ fill of it. If one misses it, he is ruined ; the
migrations he has passed through are wasted. The
Vaishnavas have surrendered their own souls and
assaulted Vaikuntha ; they have put Time to flight.
They have brought heaven down to earth, with
Vitho the chief thereof ; his heart is pierced with
arrows of his names, and he is led captive. Merits
past, present, and to come are all buried deep ; they
are driven forth as feeble creatures into exile.
The Vaishnavas shout with overflowing joy, they
raise a cry without ceasing ; the demons tremble ;
these heroes submit to none. We have gotten
freely what Bramha could not compass ; wake up,
says Tuka, and grasp it.

3477

AXT^E should not kill even a snake in the presence
of the saints, since they feel that their own
souls pervades the universe. There is one thread
that runs through the individual and the universal
soul ; both are indistinguishable ; if you pluck forth
a single hair, the whole body feels a shock. The
saints cannot bear to see another hurt ; it is a sort

THEIR CHARACTER 245

of pain to themselves ; they feel that the soul in all
creatures is the same. Tuka says, This is the law
of morality ; this is what is mfcaut by wwrship ; it
keeps the soul at peace.

3478

T^HY suppliants are men of glorious splendour.
God suffers them not to be left away from
him ; through the power of their faith, they have
an assured place in him. They possess all know-
ledge, yet they are as though they knew nothing.
God himself becomes a desire within their minds.
Tuka says, A life of infant ignorance is best ; the
mother feeds her baby from her breast.

3479

T^HEY captured God by an effort of strength,
destroying the limitations of the world. They
made it their first principle to scorn the elements
and the race of men; thus they made, themselves
lords of mankind. Tuka says, In this matter,
impatience is wrong ; experience will bring you the
knowledge of this sweetness.

3480

__ __ ■ ■ '

ILXTHEN a mother-cow eats her fill in a pasture,
the calf in her womb expects no call to feed.
Even so, when we honour the Vaishnavas, the god
within them is contented. A father delights in the
triumphs of his son. Tuka says. When nectat is
placed before us, all hunger, all maladies vanish.

246 THEIR SERVICES TO MEN

3481

* Xj^EAR not ', — these were their words.

3482

AXT^E servants of Vishnu mark our foreheads
with white clay ; that is what we wear.
These are the jewels we display, the ornaments given
lis by our lord. We have been sold to serve him
with our souls ; by faith, single-hearted and un-
blemished. iTuka says, We have grown brave ; w«
have left the world.

3483

npHE hauhinia and the mimosa, with forest-
grass, make up a bunch that is honoured on
Dasra day. So, too, respect is showed to a man
for the sake of God; were it not so, who would
pay any heed to him ? A clay vessel is placed
on the head for the sake of the water it holds.
Tuka says, Observe that wooden measures are
given and taken, when they have grain in them.

IT — Cbeir services to men

3484

T^O-DAY, O ye saints, my father and mother,

you have given me a gift of your favour.

Words sweet as nectar have risen to my lips ; I

THEIR SERVICES TO MEN 247

can never, in this life, repay you. You are
generous and merciful, says Tuka ; in fond love for
your child, you have covered him with ornaments.

3485

f\ YE saints, make everything of mine accept-
^^^ able ; the burden rests on you. Once I
strayed about, but I brought this to a close at your
feet ; I stir from them no more. Tuka says, I
have loosened the knot ; I have embraced your feet.

3486

/^HILDREN control their mother through -the
^^^ love she bears them ; does she minister to
their wants through any design of her own ? Do
you then, O ye saints, ignore my shortcomings as
she does theirs. The mother puts up with her
children's prattle and tricks, and anon she embraces
them ; is this, says Tuka, because she has no power
to control them ? Yet no harsh impulse arises in
her;

3487

'IpUKA says. My body is comforted when parti-
cles of their dust fall on it.

3488

\X7'HATEVER a man eats himself, the same
he gives away to beggars. Go, then, to ask
a morsel where the saints live. Then your belly
will be filled, and there will be food too left behind.
Tuka says. Thus all searching, all desire will come
to an end.

248 THEIR SERVICES TO MEN

3489

^npIS well to make your own dwelling-place where
the saints live. They wake up the sleepy ;
they give you abundantly the true self. To live
w^ith them and live like them should be your only
vocation. Profit brings forth further profit; one
spirit testifies to another. Nothing unpropitious
interferes with this. *Tis well, says Tuka, to take
measures which will bring the saints to our housesii

3490

T^HAVE not revealed this spell to anyone; I
have clasped it to my soul ; I have set my
mind on the brick in a spirit of faith. Tuka says,
They who searched out salvation in earlier days
have left behind them this stay for others.

3491

XJOW can I say what I owe to the saints ?
Good counsel is their natural and wonted
speech ; they labour to teach men. Tuka says.
As the cow is always thinking of the calf, so do
they protect me.

3492

^ I ^UKA says, How can I pay back what I owe
the saints ?

3493

'T^O help the children, the teacher holds a slate

• in his hand. Even so, in this world, the

saints act themselves to set forth an example.

CASTE IN COMPARISON OF VIRTUE 249

The mother knows the gait of her little children,
and makes her own steps conform to it. Tuka
says, A boat is placed in water to be useftd to men.

3494

XJIS attributes are infinite; though we attempt
to describe them, we cannot fathom them ;
he, the home of the saints, is beyond our reach.
No, you cannot find the home where the saints
themselves dwell. Find where the saints are, and
fix your eyes on them, making no idle clamour
about the matter. Become a siaint yourself , and
then look for the saints ; then alone you can be
saved, says Tuka.

TIT.— Cbe insignificance of caste
in comparison of virtue

3495

•

Y^OU are holy men ; you have been set apart ;
we shudras will not stand in your path.
What is the use of false pride on either side ?
Contemplation of God is all-sufficient ; what good
will it do us to associate with exalted men ? Tuka
says, Give me not, O God, any service displeasing
to thee.

250 CASTE IN COMPARISON OF VIRTUE

3496

/^LORY, princely power, and wealth let us
^^ renounce, and beg our bread from door to
door. Let us first secure our true welfare ; this is
what the rules of conduct enjoin on us. Pride in
caste or lineage, worldly honour we should renounce.
Tuka says, Betake yourself to solitude, lay aside
all hesitation, shout out your defiance of death.

3497

TF an onion springs up on a pediment for the
tulsi it pleases thee not, O Govincja, whatever
we do for it. So too, men void of devotion, though
born in high ranks, we should look on as demons,
as the scentless core of the ketaka flower. Tuka
says, A maggot in a piece of sandal -wood will
never be placed on God's forehead.

X¥III

Appeals

and 6xbortatt0n$

3498

/^O forth, shouting out the roll of his names ; as
^^ the worshipper progresses in this joy, he
meets Gopala. Roll on the ground, and reverence
the dust on the saints' feet. Raise your arms,
says Tuka, that Vitthala may come speedily.

3498 a

T^HE body will^ pass away; thou stone, under-
standest thou not ? What are elephants,
horses, palaces, quilts, couches, and pillows ? When
old age comes along, they will bring shame on you.
Thy kith and kin are but as cranes that eat up the
harvest. Awake ere it is too late, says Tuka ;
there is danger ahead of you !

252 APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS

3499

l^^AKE him thy god alone ; all others are part
of illusion, sources of misery ; from first to
last, there is nothing abiding in them. Make the
eternal to be part of thyself, by passionate love of
Govinda. Then, says Tuka, one death will end
all, and you will leave a glorious name behind you.

3500

ILXTH ETHER you speak words of praise or
blame, speak them of God ; wicked is he
who idly wastes speech on other topics. Those
who listen to such speech grow deaf; they pay
money to enter hell. Yes, in this world, men
will spit on them; and they will have to live in
hell hereafter. Tuka says. Speech is an honest
measure ; but the censure of others fills it with
hell.

3501

Y\^E have started out on an auspicious day ; who
will go back now ? Be things as they may,
if we have to sacrifice our body, what need we
care ? The soul is in constant dread over the
possessions that fall to its lot. How is it, O God,
says Tuka, that we pass our life in misery ?

3502

TJNDOUBTEDLY, it is best we should meet a
^^ great man face to face. We should not die
like cowards ; the life of the coward is wretched.

APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS 253

We should plunder this inexhaustible treasure.
Tuka says, We should so live as to shed lustre
pre-eminent upon our name.

3503

TF we can attain to devotion, it matters not what
happens to our lives. You should not let any
kind of fear stand in your path. Leave nothing
untried to prove yourself the equal of any man.
Be a hero, says Tuka, a leader by the leader's side.

3504

pP VEN nectar, if a man dislikes it, will not stay
on the stomach ; whereas poison becomes a
necessary to the man accustomed to it. When we
offer a cocoanut, the thing of value is not the nut,
but the honour for which it stands ; the cocoanut is
acceptable when it is accompanied by a kindly
spirit and good intentions. Good habits are natural
to one who is sincere ; but if you enforce them, will
they take root ? Tuka says, Follow natural incli-
nation in all your proceedings ; we have leisure
and patience on our side.

3505

T^HE fitness or purity of our mind, the mind
itself can testify ; there is no need for any
one to inform it on this point. If you mean to be
truly brave, you must be ready to sacrifice your
life. You will then enjoy bliss beyond measure ;
both lord and people alike will honour you. Tuka
says, As is the speech, such is the impression
it makes.

254 APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS

3506

T HAVE suffered in many rebirths ; I have died
of hunger ; but this was my best friend in the
world. Look after yourself; look after yourself,
for the body is perishable, and you have not yet
bestirred yourself to set it free from illusion. . Even
she who fed thee with a morsel from her mouth
becomes a stranger to thee ; it is not that she does
not grieve for thee, but she cannot release thee.
Tuka says, By wealth, and honour, and the sense
of self have I been corrupted ; the world did not
suffer me to see the gain that now I possess.

3507

^ I ^HE praises of men end in the utter ruin of our
lives ; if we lose sight of Narayana, whatever
we do is sinful. He gave us our lives ; we are
guilty, says Tuka, if we listen to any speech that
derogates from his honour.

3508

npAKE the road to Pandhari before Time assaults
^ and falls upon you. Your senses will grow
feeble in the hour of sunset ; so, while your hands
and feet and jaws are free to move, bethink
yourself. Why are you taken up with vain desires ?
Of what are you dreaming ? Tuka says. When
will you come by such a treasure again ?

3509

XlUY something brother! Be it much or little.

Here, in this very market, examine your

purchase and tie it up in your bundle. Spend your

APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS 255

money while there are still goods before you;
afterwards, you will have to put up with imitations.
The shop is open now ; when night has fallen, who
will let you in ? Tuka says, In the last hour, your
jaws will be fast closed.

3510

TT has grown cheap, it has come from the port to
our house. Be now greedily desirous of it.;
very sweet is this juice of devotion. Take but a
step towards it, and all anxious care will leave you ;
Tuka says, No trouble about merits or demerits
can linger on.

3511

TF a man shows a road to another, what does he
lose by this ? But if another goes by the wrong
road in spite of warning, he is ruined. How many
people have gone wrong in this way ! In spite
of warnings, they ate poison. If a man looks care-
fully round him, he will not Ipse his life, he will
not perish. Tuka says. If a man is weary of life,
what can be done for him, O Keshava ?

3512

'll/'HEREFORE art thou tormented by endless
desires ? Why dost thou not submit thyself
to God ? As thou art, thou dost keep thy thoughts
fixed on men as earnestly as a heron watches fish.
Why dost thou not trust God as earnestly as thou
dost now entangle thyself in love for thy children ?
Why dost thou not find God as sweet to thee as
the wife that strips thee of thy goods ? Why dost

256 APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS

thou not show God the same gratitude thou
showest to the spirits of thy fathers, when thou
worshipest them with false and burdensome rites ?
Why dost thou hve in dread of the world, for-
getting Narayana ? Why has thou wasted all thy
life, says Tuka, spending it without devotion ?

3513

A GAJ ARA woman sets off to bring water home ;
"^^ her thoughts are fixed on her pot of water,
she walks with her dress loose, her attention is
given to the pot. A boy sends a kite up into the
sky, he keeps hold of the string ; the kite seems to
be far away, but his attention is fixed on it. A
thief carries off a treasure and buries it in a forest ;
he lives amongst men and things, but his thoughts
are with the treasure. An adulteress looks after
her house ; but her love follows her paramour, her
thoughts are with him. Tuka says. Wherever we
are busy, we should pot let our thoughts stray from
the Lord of All.

3514

Y'OUR comrades depart one after another ; how
"^ can you imagine yourself secure ? What will
you do when you are left alone, and the hour has
drawn nigh ? Be then at least so far vigilant as
to set yourself free. Ears, hair, and eyes, — these
are slowly taking leave of you. Your teeth are
dwindling in number, your jaws tremble ; all that
is left is your tongue lolling about helplessly. All
these, says Tuka, have compassed your downfall.

APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS 257

3515

AXT^E have traced him and pursued him ; now we
have gained an eternal share in him. He
has come to your house from far away ; now,
strive to make him your own. These treasures
have been broken open ; all suddenly, we hav0
caught sight of them. Seize now, says Tuka,
sufficient for one and all of you.

3516

TXTHAT is the mouth but a storehouse for com

^ or a den for beasts, if it does not constantly

utter thy name ? Tuka says. The best life is that

which is not lived one moment without Panduranga.

3517

T IVE not with those that esteem themselves
■ saints, lest any of their qualities cling to you.
You could not then avoid the guilt you would
incur ; it would swallow up all your good deeds.
Tuka says, Salute such people from afar ; keep
firmly placed in your heart his form.

3518

tlAVE we spent all our days in festivities, that
•^ we are not free to begin the kathS ? The
true root of our guilt is that we take no delight in
it ; how then can it be called the path of salvation ?
It is mere dust. What is left men out of all the
treasures they store up? Can they take it
when they leave the world for a single moment ?

258 APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS

Nay, rather, burnish up your speech, chum forth
jewels of words. Tuka says, Let your delight be
in uttering this ; it may be difficult for both of us,
but it ensures our true welfare.

3519

"VAM A shows no honour to any one ; why then
are you ashamed to utter the name of
Rama? He will set you free when you are
caught in the grip of time ; who is there that has
ever escaped it ? They have gone to boil and shriek
in the pot of hell. If you desire your own welfare,
then utter the name of Vitthala. He who will not
do so, says Tuka, will know the consequences
when he suffers them.

3520

AXTHEN people sit devoutly listening to a kathS
^ * and converse happily concerning God, what
wonder is it that the speaker rescues and saves
others by the sweet perfume of his words ? Should
he spoil the katha by his slothfulness, or destroy
the spirit of it by caviling, he would sink himself
and defile the ship of salvation. • Good people are
like sandal- wood ; but we should keep away from
the bad, even if we have to leave their country.
Let Hari dwell with you ; such is the request
Tuka makes.

3521

\X7HY do you not worship Hari — who but he will

accept you ? In Yama*s city there will be

the chastisements of Yama, the torments of hell.

APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS 259

What impatience is troubling you ? What will you
do when you get there ? Why do you swell with
pride ? Will they handle you respectfully when
they drag you along the road ? Your mouth will be
gagged, your tongue will be pulled out ; why
do you fear the reproaches of men, — who will save
you ? Be ashamed, says Tuka ; do not waste your
life.

3522

YX7 E ought to bestow a gift on such as crave for
one ; there is true merit in the act. What
is to happen, is welcome to occur ; only let it bring
wisdom with it. That your views may be true,
kindle a light like sunlight in your heart. Tuka
says. Let there be space enough within my mind
to preserve pure faith there,

3523

npO do a good business is- our welfare ; we must
**■ exert all our powers at the right moment.
It is not certain if we shall make a gain or a loss ;
both accrue unexpectedly; give the matter your
careful thought, then take what steps are necessary.
Add fuel to the iire at the right moment ; don't
over-cook the food ; if each man dines separately,
then each one gets which suits him best. Turn up
the field with the plough, harrow it, weed it, make
it smooth. Tuka says, Bring in the sheaves at
last, and store them.

3524

'^HE mind knows its own welfare ; it recognizes
the correct thing to do. Concealment of

260 APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS

^ims is hypocrisy ; it is truthfulness that eiFects
them. Base metal cannot pass the test ; it melts
in the fire. Tuka says, Make and keep a genuine
Article ; it will serve you well in time to come.

3525

AXTHEN a man has long followed the wrong
^^ path, he turns back at last; he is quit of
the fear that he felt up till then. We should not
lose sight of the chief point ; the end, when we
reach it, will be full of sweetness. When we have
done with desires, what is there left to excite us ?
In early days, it was the way of men to gird up
their loins in due season ; in those days, guilt lost
its power, because men repented of it. Tuka says,
Our reason helps us when we secure its help ; God
stands close beside us, waiting for us to call on him.

3526

A USPICIOUS is a store of auspicious objects;
'^^ we can never grow sick of it, it can never
bring loss on us. Store them up while they are in
the market place ; * Excellent ', 'excellent \ you
should say of them. Janardana dwells in the
world ; in this market-place we see him unadul-
terated. Tuka says, When many mouths attest
the genuine article, you should store it up at your
convenience.

3527

TF the prince does not punish evil-doers, rogues
•■■ will give much trouble to other men. If the
cultivators do not look after their fields and weed

APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS 26J:^

them, how will they gather in any grain ? Tuka
says, Holy men should do nothing wrong ; they
will avoid sin by considering what is right*

3528

TJITHAT do you lose if you simply close your
mouth ? What do you gain if you insist on
* I ' * I 7 Do but sit like a dolt in your own house;
let no one speak to any one else. Tuka says, I
tell you what to do ; sit still, and fix your thoughts
on God.

3529

As children tie a string toa bee*s foot, so you
'^^ will find yourself tied up ; then who will set
you free ? Men tie a monkey by a string, and
tharch him round from door to door. Tuka says.
See how yon captive bear goes coughing along.

3530

TXT'HEN you wake every morning, you think of
nothing but food ; you forget your true wel-
fare. Yet, when you were conceived in your
mother's womb, even then He took due care of
you. The clouds never fail to pour down rain for
the chataka bird; how then will he leave you
disappointed ? The birds and wild creatures that
live on the earth, Hari never forgets them. Tuka
says. Keep faith firm within your mind, then the
consort of Lakshmi will not forget you.

262 APPEALiS AND EXHORTATIONS

3531

T KNO.W one, a wealthy man, who is suffering
from leprosy, black or white ; another who is
blind or dumb. The ways of Fate are fantastic and
unsearchable ; the strings of the puppets are in
y itthoba's hand. There are other diseases, past
numbering, that constantly invade such men.
Tuka says. They bring this gift that they destroy
men's Karma, but they have no pleasure in the
gift.

3532

AXTHILE you are busy at work, utter the name
of Rama ; the wrong of life will pass away,
your sorrow will be turned to ease. You will
find out this in your last hour, when your breath
is failing you, when you are parted from wife and
children and everything. You may get through
life somehow or other, but there is a whirlpool
ahead of you ; break the snares off you, and do
what you have to do. Whatever you have done
in this life, you will still depend entirely on
Vitthoba's name ; if you bum up your Karma, you
will be saved, says Tuka.

3533

ir\0 as I bid you do ; why do you go down to
"^ hell ? That alone is a holy action wherein
Narayana is found. God protects those who
seek his protection ; others are assaulted by fierce
disorders. Tuka says, Cling to him ; faith will
show you what his secret is.

APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS 263

3534

nPlJKA says, By many means sinjd ways, em-
brace him with your soul, all of you.

3535

A SESAMUM-SEED, half a grain of mustard,
'^^ a grain of boiled rice, should you gain as much
happiness as that, you will find, if you look, that it
has no bounds. So, make haste; do not waste
your time looking round you, while we possess
all our senses and all are fully awake. To-day
we have our fill of happiness, a happiness
with which holy-places cannot compare, not even
those that are above Kashi or Gaya. Whoso,
through pride, is ashamed to accept this, in this
matter, says Tuka, he will be ruined.

3536

npHE stones were magic stones, the ground was
of gold, he was connected by lineage with
the Upholder of the World. His town was of
gold surrounded by the sea ; he had a great host
of demons. Ten times eight thousand were his
wives ; the chief of his queens was Mandodari.
His sons and grandsons who can count ? The
chief of his sons prevailed over Indra. Fourteen
ages, he lived ; his brother was Kumbhakama.
Though all the gods were his slaves, says Tuka,
he took, away with him not a cowri when he
perished.

264 APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS

3537

TF a man has been driven away from the saints,
should he wish to keep company with you,
depart from him and live quietly by yourself.
Bum up that place where there is no thought of
the Supreme. There is no peace of mind there,
saj^ Tuka.

3638

A FTER many lives, you have at last been born
r^ a man ; now make yourself a friend of God.
Good sir, make now your true welfare your own
object ; seek your profit no more in unprofitable
deeds. Give up now the path of crooked designs ;
there is a strait road before you to Pandhari. The
.very source of joy stands there upright on a brick.
Tuka shouts his name aloud.

3539

TN the market of liberation, a full store of goods
is set forth ; carry on a roaring trade. Come,
all kinsmen of ours, buy on credit, buy on credit !
There is no division of ranks here ; none are
great or small. Tuka says. Make a profit here ;
look after your capital of faith.

3540

A MOMENT spent with Narayana he looks on
:^^ as suffering ; death, which is due to-morrow,
he brings on to-day, f and says, * It is all a matter
of luck'. God will not allow you to want any-
thing ; be assured, he will stand by you in the

APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS 265

last hour. Consider within yourself where your
true welfare lies, and be awake when the end
approaches. Your cravings and wild desires, siich
as are left, bundle up and tie to your waist.
Enough of your present ways I They will not
suffice you in the last hour ; your life of youth and
strength will not last for ever. Give up then
your disgust for religion, — the crude offspring of
ignorance, — or hope, and thirst, and illusion will
grow strong upon you. When this body nears its
end, its clay will grow heavy and last but a moment.
What you call your own will be foreign to you ;
the sight of your nose and eyes will make you
sick. Till these miseries come upon you, your life
and your future are in your power. Tuka says,
If you think well what your true gain is, all
entanglenients will be found treacherous.

3541

trow shameless is he who dies unsaved, though
he was bom with wisdom. He does not
renoimce the world at a blow ; he endures all its
hardships, and rubs himself when bruised by
them. Tuka wakes you up, O sleepy ones !
Listen to me !

3542

T^O not be infatuated by wife, son, or wealth.
•^^ The hours, as they pass, are swallowed up
by time. O man ! What means of salvation have
you secured ? Offer all your body, says Tuka, to
the Lord of the World.

266 APPEALS AND EXHORTATIONS

3543

npHIS is a haunt of robbers ; they wander round
your homes day and night — how many sleepy
people they have plundered before now ! Market-
dealers, all of you, look after your goods! Keep
on the look-out, watch the people who are
asleep by your side. Keep wide-awake, and take
your own profits home with you. Ho ! travellers,
guards and criers, perform your task, take care of
your brethren ! We shall wake you up with Hari*s
name ; look out, says Tuka.

3544

'M'O creature bom into the world stays there
^ long; death sits close beside his pillow.
Look at the mouse, — the cat carries him off ; so,
too, does death carry oiF mankind. Look at the
kid in the butcher's house ; how can a cow continue
alive with one who sells beef ? Tuka says. Draw
some profit from time ; the passing hour will not
come back,

3545

Y^OU are like a two-days' guest that walks with
his head in the air ; why do you not worship
Narayana ? You are for ever gloomy till the hand
of death suddenly carries you oiF ; when will you
worship the lord of Pandhari ? Countless such
people there are, says Tuka ; when will they meet
Keshava, who reigns above all ?

Rebukes
and Admonitions

L— Cbe ewi age

3546

TJEHOLD now the triumph of the *age of
^^ Kali ; the world delights in iiiiquity ; it
spurns the saints and consents to sin. So strong
has impiety grown, that all mankind are deluded ;
piety has been rooted out, and the dissolution of
all things has set in. Truly, this age is astounding;
forgetting the high principles of a Bramhana's
duty, the first-born resort to Davalapira. Truth has
been forsaken for falsehood ; the highest truth has
been swamped ; righteousness never came to this
pass before ; some evil demon has spread his power
abroad. Peace, mercy, compassion, devotion, good
deeds, — we need not even mention them ; truth and
courage have vanished. The duties proper to age
and station are forgotten ; men pursue what is not

268 REBUKES AND ADMONITIONS

their own business ; they consider it a burden to
call out Rama Rama ! They run after a comic
actor, like a goblin after an oblation ; but mention
to them a katha or a purdna, and the lazy wretches
at once find themselves in pain. In their greed
for pleasure and gain, they would sacrifice every-
thing, — even life itself ; but ask them for a handful
of flour in return for the Highest, and they will fly
at you like dogs. Let them catch sight of a rich
man — be he a nameless outcast, — and infallibly
they will treat him with respect ; but no respect do
they show to such as recite the Yedas, — ^good men
learned in all the Scriptures. Sons suffer their
fathers to serve them as though they were servants ;
mothers-in-law have become the bond-slaves of
their daughters. Falsehood spreads ; Vimvasi
triumphs ; all sense of propriety is gone ; wives
treat their husbands as though they were beggars.
Men are too proud to salute the servants of Hari ;
for their belly's sake, they will bow down to' a
buffoon of the Mlenchhas. Sin has girown wild and
wanton ; men are so wilful that they hold nothing
good ; they eat unlawful food ; none esteems any
man's touch a pollution. They take food on the
eleventh day, yea Bramhanas do so, and chew betel
after it, and speak the language of Musalmanas.
Ladies of birth have been dishonoured, while men
kiss the faces of slaves ; yet they make a boast of
their purity, and parade their sanctity before the
eyes of the world. Men love spirits, no one cares
for butter ; whores go strutting about, while chaste
women live in misei^y. Men have put merit out of
sight, and brought shame on saints and holy-places.
In horror at all this, the showers from the clouds

REBUKES AND ADMONITIONS 269

have shrunk ; the earth is wasted and trembles.
The gods have shut themselves up ; there is a
struggle for life everywhere. Day by day, crops
are falling off ; cattle yield less milk ; towns look
deserted. There is a plentiful crop of heresies ;
offerings and oblations have been forgotten ; sacri-
fices and vows, the repetition of holy names and
penance ; corruption has spread abroad. Bramhanas
follow the eighteen trades ; they have even begun
to steal ; they have left off their white clothes,
and wear blue. They have given up the Gita and
the Gayatri ; there is a crowd of wonder-workers
dealing in spells ; Vedic reciters sell their daughters
as though they were horses. As for the Vedas,
they turn them into ridicule ; learned men delight
in Mahommedan priests. Unimpeachable courses
of life have been crushed and impoverished ; vile
wretches are flaunting their tricks, and frauds, and
deceits. Men show their adroitness and skill
in disputes, bickerings, and aspersions ; by debates
over the prescribed and the prohibited men are
made dupes. Religious ascetics, that should have
renounced all passions, clothes, and desires, are
brimful of lust and anger and never struggle to be
free from the grip of desire. Astounding is this
age of Destruction ; kings destroy their subjects ;
fathers, sons and brothers treat each other like foes.
How mighty is this whore of time ! She has thrown
all mankind into a whirl of error ; she has mixed
and corrupted the eighteen vocations and the four
castes. We have seen with our eyes what the
saints foretold. Now let all this pass ; in this age
of Kali, it is idle to follow any rules of conduct ; we
must call on God for mercy, and remember him in

270 REBUKES AND ADMONITIONS

our hearts. O Lord of Vaikuntha ! Why <Jost
thou look on all this as a mere diversion ? While
Kali tortures mankind, O run to help them ; Tuka's
servant cries aloud to thee.

3547

TN a village full of impious men, what can a saint
do ? He is like a cow shut up in a tiger's den.
In a street full of butchers, if you swear by a bull
and oiFer that as an assurance, what is it worth ?
Plantain trees and thorn bushes may grow near
each other, but what intercourse can there be
between them ? Tuka says, If you make pottage
of bitter seeds, how can it be sweet or wholesome.

3548

TN this Kali age, a Bramhana carries on business
as a usurer; he rambles about the quarters of
Mahars and Mangs. In driving a bargain with a
Mang from the hills, he pays no heed to the
pollution of his touch. He settles his accounts
every day with a Mang woman ; her spittle falls
upon his face. He writes down on paper the
names of whores like Asha Maya ; he never re-
members Narayana. Tuka says. His body is in a
stranger's power; but a prosperous consummation
only Panduranga can give.

3549

npHOUGH born to a Bramhana's part, he

carries on a business in usury ; he wanders

from one Chandald's door to another. He begs

REBUKES AND ADMONITIONS 271

rice from men of the lowest castes, and the gift he
bestows upon them is abuse of their mothers
and sisters. He is bom in the highest station, but
his actions are vile ; he sinks his whole family into
hell. Such is the practice of the Kali age, says
Tuka ; in their selfishness, men drown the prin-
ciples of conduct.

3550

nPELL me, what service shall I render thee ?
"*• We are ruined by pedantry, O God! Thy
secret we cannot penetrate now; unless thou
shouldst tell it me, I look to be ruined. Rules for
ablution and conduct are abolished. 'What is
there in them ? ' people say. Adoration is abo-
lished. * Images are stones,' they say ; * men
have set them up to get food for their own bodies.'
* Men should neither preach nor fast,' they say ;
public worship has been abolished. ' Men should
not visit temples; they have God in their own
homes'. Thus, says Tuka, they have ruined
everything.

3551

T TELL you the fruit of the Kali age ; a general
confusion lies before the world. Men will call
us thorns, — such is the practice they will set up.
They will worship women, and give them liquor to
drink ; any man will visit any woman he pleases.
The highest castes, to whom Vedic learning be-
longs, will take flesh and strong drink. The four
castes and the eighteen sub-castes will sit and eat
in one row together. They will call this a wave

272 THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED

of Bhavini's diversion ; they will say that all men
are Siva embodied. This will come to pass,
I prognosticate the same ; I tell you it before
I pass away. Tuka serves his teacher ; mystic
powers do all bear water to his house.

3552

<Q HUSBAND! what shall I do? You have
^^ left me with a baby. My husband has died
suddenly ; whom has he left to take care of me ?
Don't break my door down ; I will cut his hands
and feet off.' She seized him by the beard with
one hand, and an axe she takes in the other. She
is just about to strike when he rises to his feet !
Tuka says, All mankind are thieves; in the last
hour, your only true friend is the name of Rama.

TL— Cbe obstinacy ana folly
of tbe wickea

3553

"ITITHEN a man is remiss in his duties, then Kali
- ^ descends upon him. It will go ill with him
in the end ; live, then, in fear of this. Kali will
twist thy ear and throttle thee, — beware ! Let none
think that Tuka will remain silent.

THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED 273

3554

TpHIS lad spent twelve years in childish games,
such as tipcat, cricket, quoits, * riders *,
champi^ penday khadiy eki-heki, hamama, hum-
bari, pakavyachSy bara, peg-tops, and kissing
peg-tops, sclader3, spinning round, stone-lifting ;
thus his childhood passed, says Tuka, then came
youth, the root of pride.

3555

TN the arrogance of youth, he respected nobody,
but puffed himself up like a bull. With care-
ful pains, punctiliously, he tied his turban ; he
stalked about among people like a buffalo. A
triple-folded cloth on his arm, his head erect,
he showed no respect to virtuous people. Like a
dog, he roamed from door to door, casting sinful
glances at women. Tuka says. Such a disorderly
rogue was he ; he passed his life in idle pranks.

3556

TN old age come colds, catarrhs, and coughs;
^ a man sits, resting his forehead on his hand.
His face looks like half a dry cocoanut ; his nose
runs copiously. He cannot utter a single word
correctly ; his breath gurgles through congested
phlegm. His neighbour says, * Why doesn't the
wretch die ? We are sick of him.' Lay aside
everything else, says Tuka, and remember Rama
every moment.

274 THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED

3557

npHE company of men increases our troubles;
it makes worship impossible ; mankind, O
God, are of three sorts. Thus, I am weary of
society; I observe their varied interests; there
is no room there for single-hearted faith ; un-
certainty prevents the growth of it. The learned
do not see their own true welfare; when, they
meet other men they dislike them. Tuka says,
Solitude is best for us.

3558

npHE touch of the magic stone has changed a
sickle into gold ; it keeps its curved form,
but its value is not diminished thereby. When
the senda ripens, it loses the qualities it had ; will
any one despise it now ? Tuka says. Even surana
can be served up at the table, for cooking changes
its properties.

3559

npHE kith and kin of a whore, that would pity
a thief, they grow like him through contact
with him. They set up thorns on their own path,
and enter the way of sorrow without any com-
pensation. To feed a snake is to spoil good milk,
it merely turns nectar into poison. Tuka says,
Unless you punish people like these, you will
not be able to check the faults of those that come
after them.

THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED 275

3560

TF a man's mind is filled with thoughts about his
own body, , he will delight in honour paid him
by the world. Such . a one is in great danger in
the market-place ; thieves untie his bundle and
carry off his goods. Yet even when he has lost
them, he is not free ; his neck is fast bound by
pretensions and greed. Henceforth, his business
is ruined ; ruin has plainly overtaken him. Tuka
says. So the saints declare ; why then does any
one wittingly ruin himself ?

3561

\7^0U may dig a trench round a neem-tree, and
fill it with sugar ; it will not cease to produce
its own natural fruit. Even so, the mind of the
wicked is defiled ; he vomits up what is best for
him. Touch a potsherd with the magic-stone ; it
will not change its own nature. Tuka says. Do
not bamboos grow close to sandal- trees ?

3562

TN hot desire for the world, his feet carry him on
thievish errands afar ; now, what will be the
end of him ? He is like one whose food is not duly
cooked. Though he eats it, he vomits it up time
after time ; what bodily, vigour can he retain ?
Tuka says, If a man has not faith, his toil ends in
the affliction of men.

276 THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED

3563

TT is not known to fools that greedy desire is
followed by piteous complaints. ' Don't burn
my pots ' ; there is fear in his heart, and expressions
of greed on his lips. When death overtakes us,
what will any strength avail us ? A man piles up
merit and demerit ; it ends in this, that he goes
to hell when he is dead. * How can I avoid doing
good to others '? this is what he is always thinking.
Tuka says, This is truly wolfish greed ; may we
never meet with it !

3564

Come men are insolent by nature, steeped and
dyed in insolence ; keep far away from them !
Back or front, how can poison end in anything
wholesome ? Tuka says, My friend, a snake doesn't
understand that you are stroking him lovingly.

3565

A MAN bound by hopes is void of shame ; he
'^^ says, the fruit will slowly ripen ; he waits
for it. To gain his purposes, he overlooks his own
degradation ; his mind finds its source of content-
ment in gain. Tuka says. Though you gave him
a push, he would not admit it ; he closes his eyes.

3566

npHEY offer vows to the stone gods that they

will swing themselves from hooks, but they

will not let their wives attend a katha. They

THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED 277

spend heaps of wealth on tombs, but they treat as
ill-omened the pediment for the tulsi that stands
at their doors. When they are plundered by
thieves, they feel no great pang ; but they will not
drop a coin in a Bramhana's hand. They entertain
their relatives by marriage, but turns their backs on
those that seek a charitable dole. Tuka says,
They are like beasts of burden, that do not know
the reason why they toil.

3567

XJE is puffed up with pride ; he will no more
bend than a rod of iron. Cannot the dull
clod recognize his true advantage, even though you
dash it in his face ? When his soul departs, he
will grow stiff in death ; his eyes will be staring
wide-open ; Tuka says, If you try to use a pestle
as a bow, you will make nothing of it.

3568

T-JE runs after the drudgery of worldly life ; how
he loves it ! When he goes out to ease
himself, he picks up stones ; he thinks over his
worldly projects. All that he is ashamed of is
Narayana's name ; he is willing to talk nonsense
to children. Tuka says, O shameless wretch, you
make a boast of your toils and cares.

3569

\\r^ should shun the company of the wicked,

^ for it breaks the spirit, time after time.

Though a snake be not moving, we should not call

278 THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED

it a harmless creature ; it will attack us at once, if
provoked. Tuka says, Keep the wicked far from
you ; take steps to avoid speaking to them.

3570

T KNOW not how long these wretches must bear
the drudgery of life ; care and anxiety dwell
for ever in their hearts. While their lips are idle,
what pains would it cost them to cry Rama ? They
turn aside from this and delude themselves ; they
are entangled by the intoxicating pleasures of sense.
Though they know this, they know it not ; their
open eyes they have closed ; the storm of illusion
fills them, and works its will in them. Such men,
says Tuka, assuredly are void of sense ; there may
be differences between them, but they all merge
into the same character.

3571

l^^EN find room in themselves for the great
object, but they cannot bear the long toil
needed to reach it. The laden animal grunts at
its degrading task, as it turns the mill where its
wretched earnings are made. Though he has a
white flower near his nose, he spits, under the
pretext that he perceives an evil smell. Tuka
says. How many people cannot profit by counsel I

3572

A MAN whose nose has been cut off is startled
'^^ to see himself in a glass ; he turns aside his
face in shame. Even so is a man appalled by his

THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED 279

own inner qualities. A thief prefers dark nights,
and is annoyed when he sees the moon rise.
Tuka says, Mankind are luckless creatures, O
God!

3573

TpHEY look on strings of gems as though •they
were glass ; they despise them, and put them
aside on their own judgment. The bent of their
minds interferes with their eye-sight; their ignorance
brings a loss on them. They look on the cow of
wishes as though it were a common cow or buffalo ;
and a common cow they look on as if she were
the other. Tuka says, Why need I say much
about them ? Their practices are suited to
themselves.

3574

A KNAVISH Bramhana who torments other
'^^ men, if you bestow a gift on such a man, you
will, both of you, go to hell. Yes, that is what
happens to both in such a case, — to the one who
asks and the other who encourages him ; branches
rubbing against each other set the woods on fire.
If you carve a boat out of stone, you waste your
money and labour ; there is no place where
a ship of that kind would float ; it would drown its
passengers. Even if you give funds to a thief, he
will plunder on the high roads. Tuka says. It would
be a piece of ostentation on the part of the giver,
and would ruin both of them.

280 THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED

3575

trow much advice is needed to influence a
rogue ? He does not like anything that will
do him good. Why are there no pure desires in
the wretch ? He has burned up the merit of his
good actions. He has no faith within him; he
will not listen to words ; he only weakens himself.
Tuka says, Why did his mother bring him forth.?
He is always talking nonsense, so it seems.

3576

\7^0U may decorate an ass, and devote fond
attention to him ; he will never be a horse,
whatever you do. He will never stop braying;
how can he help his own nature ? You may seat a
dog in a litter; but he will not stop his aimless
barking. Tuka says, These actions are natural to
the creatures ; whatever you do, a habit cannot be
shaken off.

3577

A MAN takes no pleasure in a mirror, if his
'^^ nose is not found on his face. So too,
says Tuka, a rogue turns away from spiritual
instruction.

3578

T^HE ideas of the wicked are such that he is for
ever reviling the saints. If a man remembers
Rama, he calls him a useless fool ; if a man goes
on pilgrimage, he calls him a beggar. Tuka says,
A scorpion has but one sting ; a wicked man has
stings all over his body.

THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED 281

3579

THROUGH you cast a net into the sea, it cannot
hold a drop of water. Even such is a sinner's
mind ; he loves not the service of God. You may
bathe an ass in Ganges water, but he goes and
rolls on a dunghill. You may feed a crow affec-
tionately, but he will go and roll on filth. So too,
says Tuka, a hog is never fond of musk.

3580

^^O one can boil and cook food in a broken pot.
^ The touch of the magic stone cannot change
a potsherd, no matter how hard you rub it. Like
water poured on an inverted pot is a katha in the
ears of the wicked, says Tuka.

3581

A DVICE is wasted on the wicked ; their sinful
'^^ minds will not obey rules of behaviour ; their
pretences are like ornaments on widows. Their
morose temper will listen to nothing ; * Why should
I worry myself in vain ' ? What use is there in
smearing an ass with sandal, or putting saffron on
the forehead of a pig ? You may give any amount
of advice to an adultress, but she looks on it all as
false doctrine. Tuka says, Preaching to a man
without faith is but a waste of labour.

3582

A T a preaching, he sleeps all the time ; when
talk about women is going on, he keeps
himself awake. Tuka says, Do not be angry with
him ; who can help his own nature ?

282 THE OBSTINACY OF THE WICKED

3583

A SINNER never thinks of his own past; he
blames God for every evil. He commits
mountains of sins, and feels no fear ; he is a wicked^
abject wretch. He never remembers his own vile
conduct, but he blames God for his troubles. May
thorns pierce his face, says Tuka.

3584

T^HEY know the truth, but they cannot escape
from their entanglements ; their food does
not digest within them. Their souls are a dower
of egoism bestowed on them ; the compassion I
have bestowed on them is wasted. These proud
creatures have but one propensity ; this disposition
they openly proclaim. Tuka says, How often
must I declare i't ? Nothing stays in their mind.

3585

QWEET food is wasted on sick men, sandal on
apes, camphor on crows ; a noseless man
loves not a mirror, nor a fool instruction in the
Scriptures. Tuka says, Generous Vitthala alone
can lighten the darkness of the ignorant.

3586

npHE sea is his father, the moon his brother^
Rama is his sister, Hari of Dvarka his
brother-in-law, yet the fool goes begging from door
to door. He makes his own true welfare his
enemy, says Tuka.

ILL-TEMPER AND WANT OF CHARITY 283

3587

npHOUGH a female ass should yield milk,
could she attain to the dignity of a cow ?
Though a dog should be handsome, could he eat
out of the same dish with you ? Though an adul-
tress should be beautiful, could we compare her to
a chaste wife ? Tuka says, Creatures of this kind,
can they be elevated ?

TIL— Tll-Cempcr and lUanl

of ebarity

3588

T-JE has given up righteousness, and walks
unrighteously ; he talks quarrelsome non-
sense everywhere. Who loses anything by this
but himself ? It is himself he has ruined. He
censures men he ought to honour ; he gives up
their friendship, and nourishes a grudge against
them. He prefers society of another kind ; he
does not move among the good. He brags of
exploits, and when he brags, he asks for alms.
He exalts himself, but Yama will deal harshly with
him. The man who has no principles, says Tuka,
is an abject wretch.

284 DECEIT

TU.-PrWc

3589

pORRIDGE is made of wheat and cakes of
natchnee ; but, in each case, good cooks are
good, bad are bad. What is the use of mere re-
putation ? Fie on it ! It brings vexation. What
effects our purposes stands out conspicuous and
gains true distinction. Food is tasty when it is
clean, though the mere need of food is the same in
every case. Don't spoil your food ; eat as much
as you want. Tuka says, What use is self-conceit
to any body ? Only a straight-forward course will
bring you to the true path.

U— Deceit

3590

^ I ^HE street- juggler begins a show, but does n(5t
finish it. Curse this style of life, contemp-
tible and shameless ! When you have undertaken
a role, you should act it to the end. Tuka says,
Assuredly, God will not ignore steadfast importu-
nity.

GREEDINESS 285

3591

\7^E can believe in a liar's invitation to dinner,
when we have had a meal out of him ; to
trust him otherwise would be a mistake. A female
rope- dancer touches the sky in sport ; but does she
thereby reach the everlasting regions ? We see
riders and horses prancing on the clouds ; but
would they endure on a field of battle ? Tuka
says, Such is the life of the contentious ; when
they speak, they bring shame on themselves.

3592 a

T-lE who swears falsely in court, he is a sinner in
the worst degree. He will dwell, at the
head of his own family, in the boiling cauldron of
hell. Tuka says, He was born to bring death on
his family.

UL— Greeainess

3592

A PLOT of land presented by one's forefathers,
^^^ if any man ask such a thing back through
greed, — though he be entitled to the place of honour
amongst men, — he will suffer surpassing penalties
in Yama's dwelling place. With his family on
both sides, he will enter the horrors of hell. For
millions of ages, says Tuka, he will encounter bars
of glowing iron.

286 SENSUALITY AND LOVE OF THE WORLD

3593

"\X7E should take no gift from a man whose
wealth was acquired by greed ; we can put
to no purpose such a man ; for he goes to hell.
A man who sells ablutions and the holy name of
God, or practices penance for spectators, that man,
says Tuka, is an impostor ; he goes to hell of his
own motion.

3594

T SOUGHT a teacher to advance my fortunes ;
but he brought me no good. I listened to his
holy words ; but my grain -pit was filled with
water. I took a teacher home to live with me ;
but my cattle strayed away. Give up your chat-
tering, preacher, and let me have my sickle back.
Tuka says. Wretches like these shall be doubly
afflicted.

UTL— Sensuality and tm of

tbe iUorld

3595

npHOU fool ! Thou art ashamed to greet the
saints, yet thou carriest flowers to the house
of a whore ! A whore, a slave, a murali, a pollu-
tion to the earth ! How is it thou canst think her
pure ? Be ashamed, thou wanton, says Tuka ;
come, beat him with the heels of your shoes.

SENSUALITY AND LOVE OF THE WORLD 287

3596

XX E who thinks himself polluted by the water in
which the saints' feet were washed, he whom
the saints have cast out from their number, — long
will he burn in hell. He who respects not the
water hallowed by his teacher's feet, but drinks
his fill of strong drink ; who would not touch with
his lips his teacher's hand, but lays his face against
the face of a whore, — let his mouth, says Tuka, be
filled with dirt !

3597

A POOR fool is he whose heart is such that he
'^^ spends his own money to put a chain on his
feet. The love of worldly pleasures destroys our
life, and ruins our true interests. Deluded men
make an enemy of their own body by following
the suggestions of its lusts. Tuka says. The lecher
ends his days in pain because he gives himself up
to pleasures.

3598

*T ISTEN, my daughter-in-law, don't waste the
milk and curds.' The mother-in-law started
for Pandharpur, but from the gate she turned back
to the house. * Listen carefully, child, to what I
tell you. Take good care of any broken pots.
The stack of cow-dung cakes I have piled up, — don't
begin on it while I am away. The wheaten-rolls
I have made and put away, — don't begin on them
while I am gone. My mortar and pestle and
grinding-mill, — I cannot help thinking about them.

288 HYPOCRITICAL PROFESSIONS

If any beggars come to the house, tell them I am
gone to Pandharpur. Eat sparingly ; if you make
any savings, don't waste them'. 'All right', says
her daughter, ' You may go on your pilgrimage
with your mind at ease. Seek your true welfare,
mother; forget what you have left behind you'.
When she heard her daughter's words, the mother
bethought herself, *This is a trick of hers; she
wants me to be off. Why should I go on a
pilgrimage? What shall I see if I go? Where
my children and my house are, my Pandharpur is
there.' Tuka says, All such people are entangled
in deceitful hopes.

3599

'IX^HAT passes for wisdom with these dolts is
sensual pleasure ; they give up all their
time to lust. If instruction in true knowledge be
offered them, they will not forsake bad company
for it. Tuka says. We should choose the best
company; what else is there to help us ?

UIII — Bypocriiical Professions

3600

Che stuffs herself with rags, and the story goes
^ out that she is pregnant. She counterfeits
longings and other signs of the state ; but there is
no child in her womb or milk in her breast. She
is barren after all, says Tuka; and, besides, she
has to put up with people's contempt.

HYPOGRITIGAL PROFESSIONS 2S9

3601

T^HE stuffed* skin of a tiger looks like a tiger>
but it has not the tiger's disposition, T^e
jeweller's stone detects mere gilding; when it^ is
r^ibbed upon it, then its nature shows itself »
Monkeys may dance as they are taught to dance ;
but they cannot go beyond that point and inyejit
anything. Tuka says, If a man stores up what is
worthless, he will soon be ridiculed for the rubbi^
he values.

3602

■ ■ • »

/y GLOW-WORM may puff himself up in the
"^^ presence of the sun, but the world bears wit-
ness to both of them. No one can confer beauty on
himself, though he may put on airs and parade his
own magnificance. If a man drinks whey and
boasts of the strength he derives from it, his want
of self-restraint betrays the poor diet he lives upon*
Tuka says. Fie on the kindness of the thaga ; after
displaying it, he cuts the traveller's throat at his
ease.

3603

1M[ERE professions lead to nothing;^ what we
want is a running spring of truth within.
As a last resource, a case ' is decided by fire ; we
-see who x:ah grasp a hot iron without in j ury . Tuka
.says, Swerve not from this rule; call that only
, genuine avhich is genuine. .

Ji90 INDIFFERENCE TO RELIGION

3604

'IX^HY should we live on with the mere name of
i yy worshippers ? Jewels are finery that is
-bound to perish. Let us exert ourselves, and gain
^something real; we can then display it openly, and
• satisfy our desires. Anything is excellent that can
'be weighed in the scales of truth ; but how long

will a gilded article deceive men ? Tuka says, Do

not ruin me, O God, by fettering me to the piast

and future.

1X^— Ttidifferetice to religion and
cDurlisi) conduct to ibe saints

3605

TJE never even dreams of providing God with
a robe; but he sends his wife a costly sari.
To support a cow never enters his mind; but he
caresses his horse with his own hand. He runs
after his horde of dirty children to wash them, but
he never says, *Let me bathe the feet of Bram-
hanas'. Spit in his face, says Tuka ; he goes down
to hell to rneet his reward there.

3606

"LIE hugs his wife, bosom to bosom; but when he

\^- . meets the saints, he draws back from them.

He turns his back on a visitor claiming hospitality,

INDIFFERENCE TO RELIGION 291

but goes forward eagerly to salute marriage-guests.
How often would he dream of saluting a Bramhana ?
Yet he is like a child in the hands of a Turkish
slave-girl. Tuka says, We must not be angry
with him; how can any one change his own nature ?

3607

T^HE mouth polluted by abuse of the saints is
nothing but a tanner's water-pot. A man
who distinguishes not his own from another's
proves his mother a whore. He who pries
curiously into the life of the good is a chand^la;
it is a foul pollution to touch him. Tuka says,
Reason has been given us to understand this ; of
this I make no doubt.

3608

T^HEY slight the saints, they look on Musal-
mans as Gods ; such men are slaves of the
belly, ail corrupted, O God, by desire. Tuka says,
They know not their duties ; they are led into error
by self-conceit.

3609

A CU R may bark at the heels of an elephant ; but
'^^ he is soon chastised, and suffers for it. What
can a fly like him do to such a creature ? Yet he
worries him, because it is his nature to do so. A
"full-fed ram may mock at a lion; but this is merely
a challenge to death. Tuka says, Vile men may
harass the saints, but they only blacken their own
faces.

292 INDIFFERENCE TO RELIGION

3610

A/ffEN forget the tales of God's Hfe and actions,
■*■'*' but they enjoy jest and story. They laugh
over these and clap their hands together, but they
are ashamed to beat the holy cymbals,

3611

TF a mail does not love the company. of the
•^ Vaishnavas, we may be sure he was a manga
in a former birth. Impure in speech, vile in caste
is he ; he understands not the rule of good behavi-
our or religion. A piece of aconite tastes sweet,
but it ends by destroying life. Tuka says, If a
man's father is not pure, he is far from Govincja.

3612

T^HE wicked man has no pleasure in the worship
■ •*• of Hari ; he delights in lecherous songs. He
sheds tear? over the smallest coin that he presents
to a Bramhana; but for sensual pleasures he is
willing to be fleeced. He will not give a beggar a
rag a span broad ; but he bestows^ rich shawls on
play-actors. Spit on his face, says Tuka ; he goes
to find out what hell is like !

3613

IF. a man chews betel-leaves as he sits at a
preaching, he will incur the sin of cow- slaughter.
If he smokes tobacco there and puffs out the smoke,
his sin will drown his household. If he chatteirs
while the service is "going on, he will be born again

INDIFFERENCE TO RELIGION ~ 293-

as a frog. The man who dislikes services will be
sorely tormented; Yama will lay his rod on his-

back ; his fiace will be blackened, says Tuka*

> ' . ■ ■ • • _

3614

T^O give up all respect iot the saints is a trick of
the wicked ; a drunken man raves after this '
thing or that* Ybti do riot look like drunken men ;
why do you say what is not right ? When a man
is lead astray by crazy arguments, you cannot
control him ; a mongrel ass, witbout fail^ is an •
obstinate brute; Tuka says, A man whose father
cannot be ascertained — such is the man who sees
uricleanness in the saints.

3615

TJE can never endure hunger or thirst; he
runs to see the feats of mountebanks*
When pressed to come and hear tales about God,
he says * I have no one to take care of my house.* ,
If you compel him to attend service, he lies down .
on aC cushion and goes to sleep. Spit on his face !
says Tuka*

3616

XJE has little understanding, yet he is a crest-
jewel of self-conceit. ' Who is wiser than
I ' ? says he. He shows no respect to any one ; he -
volunteers to persecute the saints. One who
censures the saints and harps on their faults, he is
soiled by every sin himself. Tuka says, A fraudu-
lent rogue is he.

294 INDIFFERENCE TO RELIGION

3617

T-XE pours. forth treasure in oiFerings to priqces;
but he will not give away a copper on a
holy occasion. He entertains lavishly relatives
who come to visit him ; but he pounds the husk of
grain for the saints. He feeds his wife's relatives
willingly; but he drives put his father and mother.
It weighs on his mind, when he has to inyite
Bramhanas to a shraddh ; but, afterwards, he sets
to work cleaning cow-houses. He will carry water
and flowers to a whor«; but he will not offer ^
Bramhana a betel -nut. He will work hard at
cleaning drain* ; but he feels too tired to worship
God. He is always busy at his trade ; he never
grows tired of that ; but he groans with fatigue when
he goes to visit the saints. He goes to sleep when
he hears Hari preached ; but, at other times, he
sits up late for nothing. He never has leisure to
listen to the purana ; but he plays at dice, day and
night. He never casts a glance at the manifestations
of God ; but he turns his greedy eyes at the places
where women bathe. He abhors the water in
which Bramhanas have washed their feet ; but he
drinks deep draughts of lust. Such men, says
Tuka, are entangled in the world from the hour of
their birth, they have lost Vitlhoba.

3618

TF you set a vrindavana plant in a sugar-cane

- plot, it will not forsake its bitter nature. If

you nurture with fond affection the young of a

crow, it will not leave filth alone. If you embrace

CONFIDENCE IN LEARNING OR MERIt 295-

a wasp's nestV it will set you howling and shouting^. «
Taka says, There is no good in men like thdse
creatures ; they ate for ever attacking the saints.

X«— eonfldence in kamliig

df merit

3619

TF knowledge of Bramhacan so easily be attained^
•^ then how is it the Vedas have proved so
feeble ? Arguments about the Scriptures, the
repetition of names, pilgrimages, wanderings over
the face of the earth — for this one end were all
devised. For this one end did Vyasa write all his
works. To gain this one end, adore the feet of the
saints, then, only, you will cross the stream, says
Tuka.

3620

TS it a small burden a horse carries ? Such is
memory — work without faith. Hold fast,
says Tuka, to a faith that never wavers, if you seek
the Lord of Pandhari.

3621

npO whom now shall I direct my words ? Who
will take them to heart intelligently ? Do
not thou repulse or evade me ; this will bring me
to utter misery. From house to house people go
on talking about knowledge ; this will never bring

296: CONFIpENCE IN LEARNING OR MERIT

t^m to the truth. Tuka .says, While, we are ,
ii^ploriag thee for mercy, there comes along some
wisiC fellow and finds. fault with us r

3622

HAVE lost all hope ; my mind is now ^quite
tremulous ; let Narayaha soothe it. In patient
resolve thou art unwearied ; thoii art the life of the
world ; cursed be a life busied with various
doctrines. The soul takes fright at the sight of
these problems ; the toil it has spent on them is all
lost* Tuka ' says, I -^cannot live without a word
fupm.thee ; we must, watch over the gift you have
g^ven us ; it is high time. !

3623

T ET no pedants come within sight of yod ; these
^^ tormenting rogues are void of devotion.
Curses on their learning and pride ; curses on the
face of the wicked ! Tuka says. They come to
persecute us with their importunities; we shall
show them no respect ; we shall sha.ye their
heads!

3624

T IKE the whiteness of a white leper, is self-
*^ conceited pride in knowledge. Who likes it
in the bottom of his heart ? It is a loathsome sight

By- a misprint in the Indu Prakash edition, the last three
lines of this abhan^a are printed as 4376.

CONFIDENCE IN LEARNING OR MERIT 297

when we apprc^ch it. No less, repulsive is a
corpse adorned for l>iirial. -I^ike a meal of filth,
says Tuka, are the tricks of tfidse that remain
conscious of their bodies.

3625

TN the end, he is left neither this nor that ; all his
•^ talk is wasted. He is without reward himself ;_
l^t . his cries benefit those who come after bun.
He finds no dwelling in liie sea of bliss, he is fiiir
of the conceit of learning.- Count him an assi^
say3 Tuka^ and thrash him wherever you '^ meet'

him. - ' '■

■»

; ^ 3626 ^

/■ , . " ■ " .- r - - •■ •

\rOU have made, yourself a learned man, and'
you read the purCtna ; but you do not know
who you are. Like an ass^ carrying a load, you
turn over the. leaves of manuscripts ; but, good- sir,
you, do not know the secret of the true teachen .
Xuka, the peasant*s son, knows nothing about the
scriptures ; one thing alone he does not forgetT-rthe,.
feet of Vitthoba.

3627

TF you count up the interest on a loan advanced
in a dream, it will not fill your purse when you
awake* Even ^o, men whose knowledge is all ^
words go on babbling ; they make their living by -
selling knowledge — which no one should sell. '

298 VARIOUS

XL— HiWiO«$

3628

£ is like a fly that leaves fragrant sandal and
sits delighted near a foul smell.

3629

DAGS of sugar are set on the ox ; but, after all,
he gets dry stalks to eat. Camels carry boxes
of precious goods ; but they get only thorns.
Thus all our efforts are futile ; they only multiply
our desires, and they hand us over bound to Yama.
The man who really gains something, enjoys it ;
others, poor creatures, exhaust themselves in vain.
Learn wisdom, O fool, says Tuka ; do not go
whirling round in the wheel of the eighty-four.

3630

pjE who, for gain, perverts morality or law, his
"*■"*• forefathers become worms in hell. He
incurs the guilt of murdering a million cows. He
makes his father drink the uncleanness of a
woman. Yama will sorely torment him, says Tuka.

3631

nr^HE son has turned out a thief; his parents
rejoice. Now why should they toil to earn
anything ? He is smelting gold and, making ingots
of gold. He brings home his unearned gains, and
enriches the house. Both of them feel at ease —

VARIOUS 299

because they are on the way to hell ! He is bean of
a shameless pair; the fruit s^d s^e4 are both
accursed.

3632

A FTER be has heajrd all this scorn poured on
"^^ him, should he show his face again, spit on
him when you see him. He is a mere dojg to live
so dishonoured a life. Tuka says, His nature
is such that the very sight erf him is an evil omen.

3633 7

TF you find there is no salt in your pottage, the
best plan is to be silent. It is not worth
while talking to a silly slut of a woman.

3634

A FTER due consideration, we should never
'^^ fail to punish the guilty. We should tolerate
no frivolous arguments ; we should not melt lead
along with gold. Rules of justice were framed to
punish oflfences ; the mere authority of the judge is
nothing. Therefore, O God, says Tuka, show me
whose the fault is.

3635

CiNCE you have the power of speech intact,
• why do you not shout aloud his name ? You
are ashamed to cry * Hari '! You swell with pride
as you walk along. You stalk along in the self-
conceit of youth like a piebald dog without a tail.
In your insensate arrogance, you feel ashamed to
dance amid the train of pilgrims. Through the

300; VARIOUS

influence of your own jewels, you pass by the tulsi
wreath, r. How delitate you have grown ! Your
health cannot stand the fast on the eleventh day.
You never bathe yourself, or put ashes on your
forehead ; you look complacently on your own skin,
yfef there is nothing in flesh to help you. Here
i^ Tuka, beseeching with tears him of the Lotus-
Navel, the Lord of the World.

3636

Che starts a conversation with him, though she
avoids his open glance ; she clings to him for
a moment, and then runs after . her pots and
trinkets. She hides her love under this behaviour ;
but her own passion ruins her. She inflames him
with desire ; she wrings his hand, and runs away.
She speaks imploring to him, that henceforth she
may ensnare him; but her mouth is fllled with
dirt. How will he ever come back to her ? Tuka
says. Her own desire brings her to tears. Why d6
not men serve thee faithfully ? Why do they not
offer their pleasures to you ?

3637

A MAN may please his fancy by eating flesh,
"^ but he makes an enemy by doing so. Who
would take pity on such a man, seeing that his own
life does not teach him what another's life is ?
He sharpens a knife against the animals who
stand before him, but he takes the greatest care of
his own little finger. Tuka says, These people pound
up bones, and then shed tears over the misfortunes
they bring on themselves.

VARIOUS 301

3638

T^HE pQorinan says of thei fortunate, * When
-*• will he be stripped of his wealth*? He
longs to see the other like himself ; how can he
change his own nature ? The dull members of
a meeting long to see the learned overthrown.
The coward when he sees a hero murmurs feebly
against him. Envy not other men ; seek the
protection of God. Tuka says, How often must
I bring shame on the wicked ?

3639

T^HUS, on one impulse or another, do these
"*■ wretches weary themselves in vain. Why
do they not secure their true interests, each so far
as concerns himself ? Why do they waste their
words, with a purpose in view that leads to nothing ?
Tuka says, Offer something at least to God, and
thus serve him.

3640

'IX/'HEREVER I look, I see men pounding
^ ^ chaff ; I see them licking canes that have
been squeezed dry, and expecting to taste sugar.
They are deluded souls, O God ! I pity them
deeply. They are like pressed men carrying rich
burdens ; their pompous appearance is deceptive ;
when they reach the halting -place, they must beg
an alms. Tuka says, Why this needless mystery ?
Show your words in close connexion with
yourself. .:'. , .:

302 -VARIOUS

3841

* TT'S this way', * It's that way' so they cry;
but both sides are crazy and senseless.
Their conceit pulls them this way, and pushes
them that way ; but, between the two, they coriie
to grief. There is no room left in them for
patience or peace of mind ; in the end, they feel
the pinch of circumstances. Tuka looks on with
amusement while people are boiling with excite-
ment.

3642

/^AN prating produce endless bliss ? You do but
^^ hurt your own vital organs. One man suffers
from hemorrhoids ; another, with the itch, laughs,
at him. One man longing for wealth wearies
himself with toil ; another, who is indolent, laughs
at him. A consumptive man says to some victim
of disease, * Stand further off '. A man with sore
eyes tells another that his ears are crooked. Tuka
says, I bow myself at the feet of all, and beg them
each to heal himself.

3643

T-lATRED of living creatures is a mark of the
. "■• wicked ; they are hard, and lovers of debate.
Their inner qualities come to the surface ; thus
they make themselves known. The good re-
cognize time and season ; their heart is pure in all
its four corners. Tuka says> I must observe at all
times what is prescribed or not prescribed for me
to seek.

VARIOUS ,303

3644

12 Y the help of a rope, a man scales a mountain ;
but he destroys himself over the last footstep.
A doctor cures a patient of a hundred and eight
disease ; the patient kills him to escape paying his
fiee. A mother bears a child's weight nine months
in the womb ; he strips her naked, and leaves her
in a public place. A man milks a cow, and then
ties her up and beats her, and leaves her hungry.
Tuka says, A man who reviles God's worshippefrs
— if you look upon his face, it will cast your ances-
tors into hell.

3645

npHESE are all tricks to evade the truth, .but
the Kali age is round us on every side. It will
not be well with us in the end ; we ought to feel
some fear within us. He will twist your ears ; the
master is fully awake. Say then, blessed is the
Lord, now, while there is time ; do not shake your
head while you are here. Do not imagine that
Tuka will be silent.

3646

'VK shaven-headed queans, why do ye keep a
store of kuku ? Spend your time in honest
labour for a livelihood ; why do ye put on alluring
airs ? To whom do you show off these graces ?
You harass your souls for no substantial gain.
Tuka says. You self-willed creatures, why this idle
vanity?

^-304 VARIOUS

3647

TF we lay a block of wood across a channel, it

. \yill hold back a stream of water. Association

.with a few rogues will ruin a crowd of men. One

fly will spoil a lot of food, if it falls into it. Tuka

.saySj Why did his mother give birth to such a fool

as this ?

^ 3648

jT-TE speaks politely to the • prosperous ; he
- spends his own money in making a show

before them. Such is the vile character of degraded
men ; they do not know what they ought to do.
They will not pour water on the hands of the
thirsty ; but they give others sugar even before
they ask for it. They go to meet the prosperoiis
and invite . themi to their houses ; but they hide
away their bread at the sight of others. They
cwill not speak a straight-forward word to these ; to
the others, they call themselves sons of their maid-
servants, Tuka says, They are mere asses ; they
waste their lives.

3649

npHUS did a wife speak out her secret wishes to
-■■ her spouse : — * There is no woman so toi;-
misnted as I am. I am always attending to -your
concerns, yet every one despises me. You gather
round yourself devouring thieves and spies, while
all my children are abused. Your mother burns
with hatred against me; I cannot bear her
eternal scolding. Your sister is always mischie-
vous and spiteful; how can I have any pleasure in

VARIOUS Sfi^

life? Ybnr brother h not straightforward, and
never speaks openly tome; whose auliiority am^
I to recognize ? As long as I am with you, you
enjoy some peace ; btit when I am gone, things won't
look j)r6mising. I do violence to my feelings, and
stalk about waiting on you; but you don't feel
ashamed yet ! Leave your family, afid I will
manage your concerns^ if you don't, 1*11 kill
myself ! ' Tuka says, Her spouse was the slave
of his lusts, and he acted as she desired.

3650

T^H AT slave of lust thus addressed his wife :—
* Why are you always so distressed ? My
pairents, brother and sister, they annoy you ; I will
leave them. If ever I see their face again, let me
be blamed for your death. To-morrow morning I
will get up and leave them ; I surely will, I swear
it« When I have, left them, I will make you some
bracelets; you are my life's companion. Neck-
laces and chains, — you shall have them all. I will
get you ornaments for your hair ; don't be vexed.
A 'fine robe you shall have, with golden spangles,
add a flowered bodice.' Tuka says. The vile
woman made an ass of him ; he ran to meet her
wishes.

3651

^J^tTHEN the people living in the same town
cannot agree with one anotherj decent'
pebple should not stop there. You cannot say
wliat may happen there in a moment; Thought'
you may be innocent, they saddle you with trouble.

506 VARIOUS

They have no love for ancient wisdom ; they carryi
on disputes everywhere. The xogue assaults tW
honest man, and when it happens, one steps in iof
prevent it» They hand over the prince's subjects,
to inconsiderate officials, and get them plunderj^dj
It would be better, says Tuka, to find a mountain,
den, and: seek repose therein. ,.

3652 !:

TJ£ scorns instruction ; he does not understand
^^ his future good. Within this hell of a
town, he inflicts sufferings on men ; but there are
others who have power over him. He stores np
vices, and grapples them to his soul. Tuka says.
Dullness of comprehension makes men give . u^.
purity in deed. . . ;

3653

'TpHE sinner who feels no dread will suffer the
"^ very perfection of pain. What p>ower will
accept and protect him ? He shall have no issue ;■
his home shall be deserted ; dense darkitess shall
overtake his family. The man who takes a gift
from him, says Tuka, shall suffer the pangs oi hell/

3654

1-TE is wailing now, but when he sinned, he
•*■ • reflected not. He coveted women &xl4
wealth; he was a cozener of men. He would
betray the credulous, and felt no disgust. Tuk^
says. He never truly came to life ; he was bom ia.
vaiiii. ..

VARIOUS 307

3655

*T^[Y hands are encumbered by shield and
sword'; so says some soldier, and asJcs
how he can fight. *A coat-of-mail, a sword-
belt, a horse, and helmet are burdens ; they are ^
second messenger of death. Some one else set me
on this horse ; how can I run away now ? ' The
weapons of war he calls encumbrances, and cries
«put, 'What can 1 do?' Tuka says. He is a very
Bramha ! Fool ! ^'^tle knows not the secret of the
•saints* feet.

3656

A CENSORIOUS -man is really a benefactor ;
'^^ how can I truly praise his worth ? He is
•something like a washerman — a man of - excellfent
-qualities. He washes you gratis, without charging
anything, keeps your surface free from defilement*
He purifies those who seek to attain, so that they
^re eminent in the three worlds. His tongue is
soap indeed ; he cleanses you from the guilt that
was born with you. His own destination is the
•city of Yama ; he will dwell in the lowest hell*
But I lay . myself, at his feet, says' Tuka ; he is a
place of purificaiipn(.r :

3657

XJ£ is a donkey dressed up lik«i a man; he
wags his beard instead of a tail.. He lives
^n scandal; he stores up a heap of sins jait home.
He sits there^ at his ease, and eats them; but>
•someday, says Tuka, he will go to hell. . ; <

iO& VAKIOOS

9698

npHEY mtoage their affairs with great self-
importance ; they do not realize thai
people see their failipgs. Their . sanctity, the
members of their own household perceive ; out-of-
doors, they censure these who have truly renounced^
the world* They cannot see theiV own shortcomings;,
but they enlarge on the demerits of men they meet.
Mankind are fast bound by love of sensual
pleasures; thus they are entangled in birth andl
death. Tuka says, My own past has endowed me
with a nature that is mad after God.

3659

IJf IS carnal desire is torturied with thcH-ns; yet
• he longs to embrace his wife. He is yormif
and good looking ; but he has to parade the streets.-
He is on the verge of manhood, his passions like
water gushing from a well-bucket, young antf
married, yet he has to walk public places. The
bride wears a tulsi wreath on her neck; tHi^
husband pines after her in Vaikuntha. Tuka says.
Such is the tale of a husband; he has rejected
divine truth, and gained nothing -iafter all.

3i560

"ll^HEN a guinea-worm attacks the foot, it it
^" bound up with a piece of cloth, the bibva-
nut is applied to it— ^a low remedy for a low*
disorder. When a servant loses his temper, does
the master go to make peace with him ? That is

VARIOUS

309

another servant's business ; the low suits the low.
When a maid-serytat loses her temper, will her
mistress go and pacify her? That is another
maid's business ; the temr suits the low. When a
scorpion enters a shrine, we don't think proper to
worship him; a slipper is the thing needed, the
low suits the low. Tuka says, People of the same
•class wiU eat dust for each other's sake»

3661 -

HIS wife sent •ut for her mother's liouae;^^
gave her his M. father for oscort* ,T%^
put some fresh provisions on an ox they took with
thitipi. As they went along, the ox tire«r her
'd^n, and tl|e two of tliein began to afcuse fach
other.. She refused to cover herself properly, and
there she lay naked. Every one laughed at them ;
■she went on abusing her husband : — * He ought
to be ashamed of hinxg.elf > why are you tormentiz^
me '* Every one spat on them, says Tuka, ia their
derision.

c ;• ;■

t. ;>,

. • I ^ • • ■ I

r • •>
'. .1

• • ! • y_. .

■\y:.

ClK Purpose of

tiicaniations and flK use

of Tmages in Olorsbip

3662

XPOR the sake of Pundalika he took his stand oh
^ the pebbly shore; in endured a sojourn ih
the womb to support the rishi Amba. He is th6
stay of all the gods ; he is the sole author of the
holy spells* It is he, says Tuka, whom the Bearer
of the Trident contemplates.

3663

'IXT'HATEVER we do to him he endures; how
trustful he is to us ! I have waved my body
round him and thrown it away. What ! Does he not
know how to say Yes or No ? or how to wield his
authority ? Tuka says, He stands patiently, hand
on hip.

tHfi PURPOSE OF INCARNATIONS, ETC 311

3664

npHIS generous Lord of many kingdoms, the
T" ruler of Vaikuntha, through love for Fundi-
lika stands upon the brick. He, the bestower c4
ail mystic powers, has brought with him all hi$
train ; he stills the fears of his worshippers, and
says to them, * This receive '. It is he who created
the world, who established the gods and sages, who
upheld the twenty-one heavens by his controlling
power. Tuka says. Merciful is he, he fulfils our
desires ; mystic powers, wealth, and liberation^
his company will bestow on us at last.

3665

npHIS is^ why the one became two — Narayana
•^ chose for himself the blisfe of devotion. Hb
took to himself a manifest form, his form with
four hands; yet he is a seed of one essence, there
is no difference of nature within him. He refused
to be a mere void, yet he remains without stain i
the Absolute stands upon the brick. You may
utter his name easily, the utterance delights in it ;
streams, tanks, and wells^ hold but one water.
Tuka says, This bliss I enjoy ; as I utter his
h^me, I feel there is no distinction between us.

3666

Xi Y my faithful devotion I have brought you inti»

a form suitable for me. :

312 THE PURPOSE OF INCARNATIC»IS, ETC

TN thy love thou hast assumed a manifest foti^ ;
^ this is why thou hast created the wide-extend-
ed world/ Accordingly, I rejoice to sing thy
teme ] I will not forget it for one moment. This is
the secret to master, the essence of all religious
duty ; all modes of worship are embraced in this*
From various points of view, various faiths arise ;
tiiere is little reason to follow any of them. Tukd
says, We shall cast him into the womb of desire,
and grapple him to our soul as though he were a
little unborn child.

T AM a slave of those who are free from desire,
'*' who feel neither pleasure nor pain. He stands
on the Bhima*s bank, hand on hip ; what wonder
is it that he comes when you call him ? Why, he
runs to help his worshippers even when they
forget him.

3669

TpROM ancient days, thou hast neglected no
•*■ servant of thine ; thou hast accepted those
who sought thy protection. About thy feet are
set, as badges of thy glory, tales of the protection
thou hast afforded to thy worshippers. Tuka says,
«It was for us thou hadst to make thyself manif ^4,
O Panduranga.

THE PURPOSE OF INCARNATIONS, ETC. 313

3670

"HpO save and protect faith Ihou dost manifest
thyself ; thou art a shield to thy worshippers.
For the sake of Ambarishi thou didst endure birth ;
how many of the wicked thou didst destroy for
him ! Blessed are they who call thee Sea of
Mercy ! Now make thine own words true. Tuka
says, The Puranas declare that Narayana is a sea
of mercy.

3671

/^OD dwells in a visible form at Pandhari ; other
^^ images, in all quarters of the world, are but
images. You may go into the waste and preach,
regarding all stones therein as Vitthala. Tuka
says. The chief thing needed is faith ; God comes
-quickly and stands where he finds faith.

3672

TF my words be intended to fathom your nature,
let me lose my eyes, O God! Pralhada did
not himself set you within the pillar ; you manifest-
-ed yourself of your own good will. You assumed a
form to serve your worshippers ; you yourself have
neither form, nor attributes, nor name. Is there any
one so base that he is not fully assured of your
nature ? Tuka says, I speak through the fond ad-
miration I feel for you; be not angry with me,
O God.

314 THE PURPOSE OF INCARNATIONS, ETC:.

3673

T^EEBLE is my intelligence; my ignorant
desire, O Narayai^a, is to see you manifest
yourself* In all the created world — in stone, and
wood, and living things — ^you show yourself ; yet
my ignorant desire is to see you, to embrace yoti
with my narrow mind. But you, O chief of Gods,,
are merciful ; your assurances aire manifest to the
world; you are eager to serve your worshippers,,
says Tuka.

false
Religious Observances

3674

•

\X7 H Y dost thou shut thine eyes and murmur the
names of God, when in thy heart is neither
love nor devotion ? The name of Rama is a spell
open to all, that banishes the pangs of sojourn in
the womb. If. you practice the spells of magic
with mystic diagrams and charms, you will fall into-
the world of demons; there is one spell alone that
Tuka practices, one name alone that he repeats, —
the name of Rama, the saviour of the world,

3675

npHE shrine is vile, the ashes are vile ; they have
-■■ conducted a vile intrigue ; the god is vile, the
worshipper is vile ; he ruins the souls of others.
Tuka says, This class of people are all vile
together ; those who have had experience of them
will know what marks them out.

316 FALSE RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES

3676

XJE weaxs tbe ochre robe, but he is a dog by
*' nature; what^^path x)f spiritual experience
iias he followed ? He lets his hair grow long, and
wanders in every direction; but he has merely
reduced himself to the plight of a fox. Some of
them dig holes in the earth to live in ; but are
there not rats enough about ? Tuka says, What
need is there to act like this ? It is idle to torture'
our bodies.

3677 •

ClVA, Sakti, Surya and Ganapat — they say
^ these are all one with Vishnu. They think a
flint and a diamond are the same thing; they
waste their lives in impure worship. Such 9s
say other gods are God, their life is impure and
fit for the impure. It is a foolish fancy they
indulge, to bestow Godhead on other gods. My
master reveals this by his own mouth ; it is no
utterance of mine. Blessed are the Vaishnavas
who worship Keshava ; pure are their souls; and
fit for liberation. Tuka says, Who is there that
has not liberation in his power ? Submit yourfeelve^
to Govinda alone.

Our Hftittt^ towards
Craditional forms

ofOlorsbir)

3678

^IXTHEN a man goes to perform a kirtana, her
* should not partake of food. He should not
put fragrant powder on his forehead, or a garland
on his neck. He should not demand grain or grass
for his horse or bullock. Tuka says, Those wh^
take or give money at such a time go to hell.

3679

X^tTE cannot reach the goal by virtues merely*
talked about ; O God, there is nothing to*
be gained by these. In you, what makes us marveh
is this, that there is nothing you cannot really
do if you take it up. ^ I concur not in doctrines
concerning the action of our past ; in the Puranas^
we find much that is shocking. Tuka saya, At thy
feet I have opened up . my faith ; let it find such
accomplishment as thou shalt bring to pass.

318 OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS WORSHIP

3680

TT is not fit that speech of mine should pollute
you, O learned . Bxamhanas ! So I humbly
entreat you, give me the leavings of your food»
Practise you your duties as they are prescribed in
the Vedas. It is your duty to give and mine to
receive the iFood ypu leave, says Tij)ta.

. 3681

/^I VE me what 1 ask for,^— an attentive hearing ;
^^ keep the feet of. Vijthoba in your minds.
This will appestee my spirit ; I need no luxuries,
no delicacies, no- gold. Observe the fast on the
eleventh day, keep the pediment for the tulsi at
your doors, wear on your neck the tulsi wreath.
The food that such a man leaves uneaten, to me,
says Tuka, is a Dasara, a Divali.

3682

"IXTHAT are the practices and penances that we
^" go in for ? What could our fathers have
knbwn about them ? We ch'aunt our scmgs in
the assembly of the saints, we stand at their
nightly vigils. It is not after our ideas to go BXid
practise renunciation. Tuka says, We shall bring
our senses under this delicious mood.

3683

A B RAM HAN A by caste who performs not his
^^^ ablutions, he is but a Bramhana in name. He
is lower than the lowest if he neglects the

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS WORSHIP 319

shaligrSma and keeps company with whores» He
will not accept as holy the water in which the
saints* feet have been washed ; he lusts after
women. Tuka says, Do not even look a second
time oil his face.

3684

;.•• • • ■ .

fT^H IS practice of penance and contemplation
does not* attain its* end' Witfci length of time ;
but even slow-witted men pass into a trance as
they hear thy story. There is nothing to be com-
pared with it in the thr^oe worlds, how^Vier much
we search* Tuka says, To banish my sorrows I
continue among the saints.

3685

LJE doesn't bite you or hurt you, or shy ; he is
"■• •■* clean in his habits, he will not eat filth* Still
an ass in an unholy creature ; you cannot make a
:gift of him on an holy day. She bites, and kicks,
and shies ; she yields little milk ; her mouth is
never clean, and she eats filth ; yet a cow is holy
and proper for a ^ift on a holy day.^ A E^amhana
ought to a Bramhana for his teacher^ and never a
Shudra ; good customs proceed from God, says
Tuka*

3686

'IXT'ORDS apart from God are a fruitless end to
^ follow ; they are like wrestlers employed to
amuse a gathering. The performance of prescribed
4[uties» apart from God, is like the pliant smooth-
ness of a reptile^s skin. Tuka says. If you are
wanting m devotion, you are truly unfortunate.

S20 OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS* WORSHIP^

3687

TF a man sacrifices his life in a saiiy of despera^
tion, God has no pity on him ; be is like one
who throws himself into the Ganges in a fit €#
annoyance. He attains neither heaven nor libera-
tion, but he does not miss the pit of hell. Tuka
says, Remember Krishna and Rama and yoer
cares will be dispelled.

-»

• •• V

y.l U M^^^' -ViT

XXIII

Jlg<iin$t false teacbers
and impostors

3688

AX^HAT is the use of these hired monkeys that
dance before the world ? When Yama
searches them, they show their teeth ; his satellites
drag them over hot iron-rods. They shake their
hands and teeth, they play their tricks to win
applause. Tuka says, I cannot count how many
such bearers of burdens have suffered shame.

3689

T^HOSE that comfort their bellies by selling the
Gayatri, their end is hell ; it is the end of
such as sell their daughters, or take money for
singing God's name.

3690

U[£ pretends to be busy reciting the names of
'*■ **• God, but he lets sleep come over him, till he
is quite oblivious to his body ; such worship is

322 FALSE TEACHERS AND IMPOSTORS

repulsive ; it is like the mimicry of a strolling
actor. In his greed for gain, he has sold the
service of God ; where is God left in such a one ?
Tuka says, The man who loves honour, we will
■cover him with shame.

3691

^1X7 HAT means this hanging about, like a dog at
a palace- gate ? Your pretence of freedom
from desire is all a hollow mockery. Why have
you gathered round you this disorderly crowd of
followers ? Tuka says, The filth you discharge is
something different from your pretences.

3692

'ITIT'HAT avails it to string together verses after
^" another man's style? What avails it to
pound chaff? What is gained by crowding out
truth? If you pour out verses, the world will fall
at your feet; but he who gives them all this
pleasure goes to hell. Tuka says, Unless a man
has God on his side, his false pretences will bring
shame on him.

3693

TT^HE back is bowed down by this load of their
^ knowledge; their idle chatter never comes
to an end. How long must I listen to it? The
very scavengers are killed by the stink of drains.
Their talk is vapid, unseasoned with salt, dry husks
and chaff. Tuka says, These dull fools cannot see
their own true interest.

FALSE TEACHERS AND IMPOSTORS 323

3694

nr^HE worship of God is ruined by a crowd of
paid expositors ; the rogues love a pompous
fraud. They will not eat a meal ready before
them; they spoil milk by over-churning it when
whey is formed. Even when they are dining t^y
themselves, they must needs have a table ; they
are so fastidious, they do not know how to take
food. Tuka says. The end of it will be their
veneer of devotion will actually bring them to
hell. .

3695

npHE preacher expounds at length the know-
ledge of Bramha; he does not practise it
■himself. Tuka says. He composes long poems;
hut he courts honour, as though it were the great
thing,

3696

TJ E puts no faith in God ; he derides the saints ;
■■• he learns the letters of the text by rote ; he

goes about distressing men with arguments. He
declares the gods are stones ; he is void of faith,
^ays Tuka.

3697

1-TE shakes his bag of beads and wags his chin ;
every bead he tells, he finds fault with some
one. His fruit, when it ripens, will be the chas-
tisement of Yama; he has made his home in the
furnace of hell fire. He harbours rage in his

324 FALSE TEACHERS AND IMPOSTORS

heart, like a Mang ; he barks like a dog, and pre-
tends he is reciting God's names. Tuka says, He
has bathed himself in urine, and given his fore-
fathers filth to eat.

3698

TT were better, in one sense, to be a deaf man ;.
but those are mere brutes crammed with learn-
ing. All their good-luck has been burned up ; why
does a luckless wretch go on living? It were
better, in one sense, to be crazy ; cursed be the-
argumentative rogue ! Tuka says, Creatures that
live on a dunghill cannot tell what nectar is.

3699

T2E ye as ye may be ; we surely shall not dis-
tinguish between you; we follow God with
single purpose, groping on our way, hand in hand.
Why should we concern our minds with your faults
or merits ? Tuka. says. Why should I suffer any-
thing foreign to affect my mind ?

3700

A BARREN woman may feign pregnancy by
'^^ winding rags round her, womb; so two ped-
ants go on chattering, and sell their feigned know-
ledge to make a livelihood. Mere talk of curry
and rice — who would eat it and satisfy his-
appetite? We may write 'sugar' on a piece of
paper ; but it will not taste sweet if you lick it ?
Tuka says, Fie on men's pretentions ! They have:
neither shame nor recollection in their minds.

FALSE TEACHERS AND IMPOSTORS 325

3701

A PREACHER who has no knowledge o{
"^^ Bramha — of just practices or thoughts — h«
•carries on a traffic in false goods. He was con?
ceived in the womb of a buffalo; he should be
called an ass, a C hand Si a. A man who makes
money by preaching — What ! Could not the
wretch get enough to eat otherwise ? He talks
nonsense to fill his stomach ; but he is never ready
with an instructive tale. He is a rogue among
mankind, says Tuka ; Why did his mother give
ibirth to him.

3708

*COME become religious mendicants and put on
^^ saffron robes, and yet forsake not their desire
for pleasure. They scorn coarse food, and crave
for divine grains; they expect honour and polite
attention. Tuka says, Their worship is an
arrogant fraud.

3703

*COME let their hair grow long and wear their
loin-cloth tucked up ; they smear themselves
with ashes all over.

3704

'Come pierce their ears and hang large ear-rings
^ in them ; they call themselves lords of the
world. They go their rounds and demand money,
but they never remember Sankara.

326 FALSE TEACHERS AND IMPOSTORS

3705

Come dash their heads against the ground ;:
they set themselves bleeding ; these are
Malanga. They wear goat-skins and iron chains ;:
they shout aloud with might and main.

3706

Come shave every hair from their heads, and
^ chins, and faces; they wear good garments
dyed black. They carry in their hands sticks-
reversed, and preach their doctrines to all men.
They seduce women, and dress them like them-
selves.

3707

Come tum themselves into Jangamas, and"
plaster ashes on their bodies; they blow their
shells from door to door. They honour not the
flowers and water of their God Siva; they ring
their bells to make a livelihood.

3708

Come wear marks on their foreheads, and tie-
^ Wreaths round their necks, and wander from
country to country to fill thdr stomachs. They
Wrap a white rag round their loins, and search for
dainty meals in holy places. Tuka says. They arfer
thugs who deceive men.

FALSE TEACHERS AND IMPOSTORS 327

3709

TN apparel of these various kinds they roam
about ; they beg for alms to fill their bellies..
^yhich of them has renounced the world to seek
the Highest ? Tell me truly, prithee, the name
of such a one. Shuka abandoned the world in the
hour of his birth ; he led a life without stain, says
Tuka.

3710

nr^HEY say, We are saved ; they are greatly
, conceited, they are quite deranged and crazy..

The rogues waste their lives in quarrels; they
seek, by their disputations, to win ease and honour..
They go on urging their assertions without any
proof of evidence. Tuka says, How many such
have gone down to the lowest hell !

3711

\X7HEN you meet with preachers such as these,,
you and they will both go to hell. Their
preaching of God is more to a man than his own
mother ; yet they are not ashamed to let it out for
hire. They that take and they that receive a price
for it are both denizens of hell ; yea, they dwell in
the lowest hell. Tuka says, Their greed drags
them down to the pit.

3712

IIJE bears no outward sign of the spirit of the
■^ saints ; he is not fit for instruction. If a
man cannot swim, yet allows another to grasp his

328 FALSE TEACHERS AND IMPOSTORS

waist in water, what can one say to such a fool ?
If a man who is worn out seeks help from another
who is worn out, they will both be brought to the
same plight. O Helper of the Poor, says Tuka,
let me look on no such man \

3713

TF you coat a stone with sugar and set it upright^
the crowd will think it genuine. So long as
men are mad after sensuous pleasures, some one
will deceive the crowd by coating things on the
surface. How can such hypocrites serve Hari?
They know not what is purity of faith. Tuka says,
How can any one' be a §aint so long as his mind is
polluted by lust and anger ?

3714

T^HEY employ agents and go betweens, and force
their instructions on men. * Saints * there are
of this kind, who seek a living ; how can God be
present with them ? They get women and children
into their clutches, and obtain annuities for them-
selves. They expound the Scriptures, but they
never act according to their own expositions. They
act like rogues, says Tuka.

3715

OOME men assume the character of saints to
*^ impose on the world, but they are always
slaves to their families. A parrot talks like a man,
and amuses people ; a bull led by a Timmaya
behaves as he is taught ; a doll will squeak as it is
made to squeak. Fie on such skill ! says Tuka.

FALSE TEACHERS AND IMPOSTORS 329

3716

'TpHEY feign to be possessed by spirits, and
bestow boons ; devotees like this bring nxis-
•chief with them. They sit in shrines and wave
fans ; these sinful creatures besmear themselves
with sin. Their words are verified by chance like
predictions in * odd and even ' games ; thus they
•delude men. If they can control divine powers,
how is it their own children die ? Tuka says, He
who gives away water and ashes is no true
worshipper of KSnhoba.

3717

'T^O fill his belly, he tells tales about worldly
characters ; he forgets Hari, who sent hin^
into the world. Though he gets his stomach filled
with food, he forgets the Purifier of the Sinful.
* Who am I ? Whence did I come ? ' he forgets
all about this. He goes on praising the achieve-
ments of men ; he is a chatterer, says Tuka.

3718

'T^AKE back your chattering, and give me back
my sickle. Your advice is useless, and my
white bullock has gone straying.' Tuka tells such
people, that the magic-stone will not touch a
potsherd.

3719

T^HE idle talk of a chatterer has no taste nor

flavour ; he talks always to himself about him-

rself. Who would wish to be killed by his jarring

330 FALSE TEACHERS AND IMPOSTORS

words? The wise should leave him alone. When
your ears take in the braying of an ass, what admi-
ration of it would your voice express ? Tuka says,.
The properties of a man's speech will attach them-
selves to your own person.

3720

nr^O sell preaching is to commit incest with one's-
mother ; the man who takes hire for such a
purpose is ix)lluted. The preaching of Hari's
attributes is the mother of Hari's worshippers; the
man who would make a living by it is a Chanddla,
The lowest of castes would never do such a thing.

3721

1-j£ instructs his pupils that the worship of their
spiritual guide is their chief duty. He
gives them an example of ceremonial righteousness ;
he carries the staff, the pot, the wreath ; he
remembers the ochre robe ; but all to.no purpose
does he call himself a sanyasi, Tuka says, If he
cannot get rid of lust, he will not gain his end.

NOTES

Abhanga. Line.

2655 6 'This place nor that, ' this world or unioi>
with God.

2860 2 Read koradi,

2661 2 A man's destiny is popularly supposed to be-
written on his forehead.

2682 3 C hint ana must refer to the contemplation
of worldly interests; this is what has been
taken from him.

2691 3 Stake, on which he was to be impaled.

2766 ^he 'treasure' is the experiences, pleasant

and painful, which are allotted to a man in the
world. A man is not responsible for them.
They are sent by God.

2708 Tuka allegorically describes himself in at-

tendance on God under the image of a dog in
attendance on his master's house. The ' butter-
milk ' is in general the refuse of the house, and
it represents the favour which Vitthoba graci-
ously spares for his devotee.

2721 1 Bhat, a hereditary bard who sings the

praises of a chief.

2722 The doors and the approach to the temple.

2728 4 The second half of this line is obscure,

2729 4 The last half of this line is probably corrupt ;

no translation can be suggested.

2742 3 I look on the water in my body as mere-
water, on the gas as mere gas, etc. >

2756 3 God, read nivadi.

332 NOTES

Abhanga. Line.

2761 4 Literally, ' to skin your knee '.

2763 1 A doubtful rendering. Taka is a metal plate
with an image of a God stamped on it.

2778 Tuka is not speaking of spiritual estrange-

ment from God, but only of giving up visits to
Pandbarpur.

2777 Presumably, some parent had come to Tuk2

and complained that he had misled his son.

2780 Apparently directed against a crowd of rich,

but insincere, worshippers of Hari.

^782 1 The Manga is rage.

2788 It is a fact that Tuka sat in meditation on

this hill, but it is not certain that this abhanga
is by him.

'2784 A rather clumsy use of philosophical langu-

age, which is probably not TukSI's.

^785 Supposed to be the last words of Tuk3.

t^TQS 1 Bhava, (i) Faith, (ii) an agreement as to
wages.

'2801 2 Vivasi, a mischievous female spirit, vague-
ly supposed to be the authoress of human
mishaps.

5 We, i.e. Tuka and his brother. .

'^808 2 Read Sahya.

'2818 5 The letter prefixed is Bh.

9 Read manase.

2819 1 These are the two months in which religious
assemblies are held at Pandharpur.

^2821 3 It is an old superstition that children bom
feet foremost can see hidden treasures.

2822 3 The three qualities are, Satva, Raja
Tamasa.

NOTES 333*

Abhanga. Line.

The four animal kingdoms are —
(i) Born from a placenta,
(ii) Born from eggs,
(iii) Born from sweat, e.g. lice,
(iv) Born from seeds (plants).

2826 1 The mention of the linga is unparalleled in
Tuk3, and suggests that this abhanga is-
spurious.

2884 Alandi is a village about fifteen miles from

Poona, where there is a famous shrine of
Dny3nadeva. As Tuka never writes in honour
of this saint, the abhanga is evidently a
forgery.

2848 3 Read prakdsha sakald.

2844 1 Read sevene.

2863 Obviously, all the actions mentioned are

impossible, and the poem is a satirical attack
on the advaitist view, that we and our actions
are unreal and yet can be offered to Brahma.

2866 2 Literally, ' In the place of three and a half
cubits. ' As this is the traditional measure of
a man, the phrase seems to mean vaguely
' overhead ' ; and perhaps the translation in the
text shows what it meant.

2870 4 Unmani is the state of absolute union in

which personality disappears. ^

2871 3 Or else read, ' Has grown upon me more and

more.'

2879 1 Both strings, i.e. the string that connects >

men with Govinda, and that which connects-
them with the world.

2880 • This ' and ' that ' the worshipper and God,
or the baby and its mother.

2888 A certain Bhil hid himself in a tree to shoot

deer ; he broke off some of the branches to»

-334 NOTES

Abhanga. Line.

enable himself to look out, and these he threw
down on the ground. It happened that there
was a pinda under the tree ; and Siva,
regarding this as an act of devotion, took the
Bhil to Kailasa. So, too, the vulture entered
a temple to eat the remains of food ofiered to
^iva, and unintentionally fanned the pinda
with his wings.

^900 4 Ajamela.

.-2909 10 One of the four commanders of Rama was a
bear, Jambuvanta.

.2906 A book of omens (Sortes Virgilianos) is

used by opening a page at random and reading
the passage found. * What you desire * is a
prognostication, not the object desired ; thus
Vitthala surpasses the book* for he either
gives or refuses this object itself. Again, the
power of Vitthala to help the sinful is contrasted
with the misery they must endure so long as
they depend on merit for salvation.

"2912 3 The ' platter ' is a leaf-dish, which is simply
thrown away when done with.

.2914 3 This is the only place, so far as I remember,
where thetitle ' Jagannath' is given to Vitthoba.
The worship of Jagannath, in Orissa, has many
striking affinities with that of Vitthoba, as well
as points of difference.

^919 The image of Vitthoba once accepted and

drank a cup of milk offered to it by N3mdeva.

Narsi Mehta was a saint of Surat who
addressed a bill-of-exchange to the Lord ^ of
Dvarka, by whom it was paid.

Dhanji Jat spent all his seed-corn on a
feast in honour of the saints, and his fields
were sown by Panduranga.

NOTES 335

Abhanga. Line.

Mirabai was a Hindu girl who refused to
enter the harem of the King of Bijapur. Her
father compelled her to drink a cup of poison »
but she was saved by Panduranga drinking it.

Damajipant of Mangalvedha allowed some
famine-stricken wretches to steal grain from
the stores of the King of Bedar. Vitthala
disguised himself as a tnahdra and went to the
King's court and paid for the grain.

Namdeva once, by mistake, began preaching
at the rear of the temple of Avindha Nagnath
in Berar. The mistake was pointed out by
somebody ; but NSmdeva replied that the God
in the temple might turn the temple round if
he chose. This the God accprdingly did.

'^920 Episodes in a forest fire, where Goviitda

saved the lives of certain young creatures.

"2028 1 This is a paradox for ' worship ' (Puja)
especially.

.3931 3 Read kari te.

3 A very speculative rendering.

■3947 3 The string of the puppets.

'3985 1 Literally : ' is carried on the head of. '

:8968 Obscure ; but seems to mean that as long as

we seek material blessings, it is no use asking
them from God.

^970 2 Read navha te separately. Note the occa-
sional sense of karana as ceremony.

'^985 The pots on the Persian wheel represent

each a life in the migration of souls.

v2986 1 The life of service is said to be wasted,
inasmuch as it does not lead to the absolute
union, which, as some critics might say, is the
proper object of religious devotion.

336 NOTES

Abhanga. Line.

1 A Sanskrit word for ' the fall of a palm-
fruit following the perching of a crow on the
branches of the tree. ' A simile for a pure
accident.

3 This line has completely beaten us ; we can
make nothing of it.

8011 3 Padara, the very outside strip of a garment ;.
hence, the lost vestige of anything.

8016 4 Read Anubhdva.

8017 3 Properly, a pradakshana is a circuit round

a temple in honour of the God. Tuka says-
that, in his confusion, he makes a circuit
round himself.

8084 4 Read thdva.

8068" This is apparently satirical ; the last line

means, ' Raise your hand, if you will, to drive
me away like a dog ; I will tell the world this,
is how you treat your worshippers. *

8076 3 Literally : ' You make your waist run away
from us ' ; the waist being the part by whk:h a
man would naturally be caught.

8078 If a man clings to the world, the world will

cling to him.

A recluse, who declines all intercourse with
men, allows his hair to fall in disorder over
his forehead.

8100 4 Equal in the service shown and the love

given.

8101 5 It seems impossible to find any connection

of thought in the last two lines.

8106 Not only the elephant (Gajendra), but also the
alligator who attacked him, were saved by
Vishnu. (The belief is that all creatures at-
tacked and destroyed by Vishnu are afterwards-
saved by him.)

NOTES 33f

Abhsuiga. Irine.

The deer f ^led to find her fawn ; she turned
her face up to the sky as an appead to Vishj|^u,
■who saveatier.

8107 4 After this, in other editions, follows *Ko-
where in the three worlds are you>to be f^mnd
acting according to your title.'

8109 1 Naratsya should be naratitsya ; it is them
an emphatic reduplication of narendra. ^

8112 4 Sc : Will you change your word ?

M28 ' > 2 ' The two songs ' seems to refer to the two
expressions * our mouths should be saints, our
senses ascetics. '

8 184 4 The chakra or discus is the, weapon of
Vishnu. It is an ancient weapon of Indiam
wsu'fare.

,8148 . 3 Intellectuality, wealth, courtesy, authority,
creative power, strength.

8198 3 Vasa for vata.

''. «161 4 Hell.

8176 2 Readmw/a.

8186 ' 3 Ke^Akhare

.. 3190 5 Either a life that respects the good in this
world or a life of self-respect, or a life respected
by others on good grounds. One really cannot
say which.

8198 4 The three letters are the three consonants
in the name Vitthala,

8209 4 The usual order is Goddyari.

8282 The point is that God has no earthly bless*

ings to bestow.

, ; 8386 3 Dai and tai (Dava and tava) are greater
and lesser degrees of heat,

Abfaanga. Line. • ,:-'■■ '*'*-

Sim 1^ itaNd N9ra^*>mt.

^8881 2 I'aAe apparently meluis^ Is ae^n.'

Bead chode aise.

4 J09^i»e. Tk« 4[«e«knfiig -of this word is
obsc^we. aiAd It hBs ^ttbt bete tendered in the
translation.

•SOv lu riattgitVatt vCfT ttUUnglZVlfll .

S272 A debtor sits kt ills creditor's door wKhliis

iMad voted ; the «ii|^ enedftor is hel^ wkp-
posad tD'stifllBfa his <^ovenaf; ^off bim.

8273 5 My teacher Chaitanya.

S219 2 aJbJ^af-i, * like a^cteen*.

8877 An obscure allegorical repveasntation of the

derivation and separation of man from <9«d.
The * mother* is the original may a, the
creative energy of God ; the * daughter ' is the
secondary mdyds tbe world. The allegatf is
then changed into a pun on 'Shankh,' which
means, (i) the shell brought to fight ftt ^c
churning of the ocean« (ii) a fool, lioftal
man is at once a fool and a relative of God.

8887 If we praise God's qualities, we are really

dimiaxiinag his glmy hj ^eacnbrng limiCilidiis
tDcne-wteis beytmd limitatiDiis*

S80D 3 Hake jaijane together as a noun.

2808 2 The cowherds are a type of the unlettflild,

8820 1 Lakshmi is the gt>ddess t>f wieahh.

8886 The GopI is the soul ; the forest, the woria ;

the boasts of pi^ey, iemptstkMls.

•8888 6 Seems to mean, ' The man who avoids the
■iftftke 4»f OBlliTatliHg a Wikig for the r^HMfty,
and who iflots aot ftJfe it mMu he is not

9itft^^ 33$

-Abhanga. Line.

suffftdliff itatA tte iMMHplifhUt avoids ilndfi&g
a vice of it. *

8884 The last line ef the Marathi is not iMtnted

in the tndu-Prakash edition.

•t8iB 2 The ■vTtiter supports it.

8848 This may also be translated solely with

reference to God &aA hfe wotsftiippers.

-Wit 'So ihtich gained,' i. fe. having ted a

human body bestowed on "rfsi

-^MV The kifftsa is a sort of good^ ; but we t!o iiot

regard t|[is bifd with the ateriring eyes of
Hindns, so perhaps the word is best left
tintrahshitecU

^88 Rama owfifed ail this Wealth (captured Irbm

Ravana) ; yet, when he died, none of his wealth
followed him to heaveti,

^861 2 Read iiMx?a fcnr b^lOWS^

-98t0 2 One of the classes lower thftn Shudras.

8876 3 So the Marathi seems to mean, and the
difeaning suits the context ; btit this is not %he
usual view of the operation of tfite magic stone,

•8889 2 They are not absorbed in God, as the
Advatt school rect»ttm4^d« but keep their ^n
individuality,

4t6» 3 Re&dfi^oi^.

S92K 3 Read vise,

jMf8 Possibly, * Learn to fiftd things sSvfiet,

though there is no actual sugar in them;
when yO\i can aiccept the cOhditions of life in
this way, you are near God^ '

8U0 2 Read chiniu in one word.

■8448 3 R«ad vi^mukMd^

340 ^NOTE'S

Abhanga. Line. . •:

: 8180 ftead dsakara as one word.

8408 3 Sarcastic.

"8078 The jackal who closes his mouth over an egg

is a syiiibol of the worshipper who has attained
union and is silent. ,Tbe .donkeys are ^the-
argumentative pundits.

8800 .. SLead uchamhale. . V

. 8800 ':5 ..(( In the hour of deatki j^ou will not be able to-
utter God's name.

: ., 8800 2 Literally ' God suffers' ^ practically a careless
expression for 'matter of .luck.' That line-
means that careless people ciit their days short
and say, ' It is all a matter of luck,'

.^840 21 Vimvasi. See 3008.

26 Avindha, 'unbored', is a term for a
MusalmSh, because his ears are unbored, i.e.
he doe^ not wear ear-rings. .": *<>•'.

88^8 4 Ashd (hope)., Mdya (illusion) are used in a
double sense.

8888 2 Literally, ' Did he not take his soul into his.
head,' this being a physiological explanatidto
of a trance.

. 8388 3 Le. ,, It loses its bitterness.

8802 *Pachava\ the return of a disease nearly

cured, in consequence of venturing too early
abroad and exposing one's-self to the evil-eye.

.8808 The covert point of this abhanga is, that if

a worldly man endures everything for his
worldly purposes, a religious man ought to be
willing to endure the same trials in the name
of religion.

8808 2 This is suppiosed to be said by sonie one^
lending his pots to a neighbour.

NOTES 341

^bhanga. Line.

A pun .6n shankarvr^ich me^is (i) a f ool» (ii)
a shell. The shell was one ol the sacred
objects (mentioned in the abhanga)^ obtained
at the churning of the sea. The whole- is a
pointless affair, translated solely on the ground
of its obscurity.

4IS87 The point is^ that some people are naturally

''• incapable of understanding spiritual truth.

^ . ^

•3598 The murali is a girl married to a deity, who,,

having no means of livelihood » supports herself
by prostitution. Many girls in,the Deccan are
still in this position. "^

8602 4 More familiar to English readers as * thug \

41902 3 ObscUiu^i. The point seems: to be! that whey,
though it^iurishing, is a cheap kind of diet;
and the i^^ in the illustration, by disclosing
the fact that he lives on it. draws attention to
his own poverty.

"3607' A chandala.

Ml7 10 * The manifestations of God ' are the saints.

■3620 4 The demon supposed the tortoise to be a
rock, as he could not see his hands and feet ;
accordingly, he stood on him and the tortoise
took him by surprise.

•3621 2 In modern Marathi, perhaps dainyakala.

3622 2 ¥oT d^0 tatra, ,'

41626 3 Tu)£§ v^a& born of a ^Mna&i (peasant) hixnily
which ](i^sil adopted the calling of a vani
(groceir). . . , . , .

^629 5 The eighty-four rebirths.

•8686 The behaviour of a man to the world is com-

pared to that of a' woman who feels an illicit
passion for a man, which s^he is afraid alto-
gether to avow or indulge. This only ends ia
her disappointment and misery*. "" ' ^^

SIS KOTfift

Abhanga. Line.

1' FbssiHy bocanyse tlife ^nfus^l he ate crMfcy oat^
Ynirt m tbe ne^t incarnatipft.

99^ 3 ^o^apio^ i% a B«^9ii. i!iFOf4 meaning a.

equivalent for Yanm^

IIM Btm^ ^9ifl^^i^ i^9ilKui of a huitaRd

Willi* ymmm w^ vlMt Mms him out of

doors, Thus., in spite of hiqs^lf , he 1^94^ ^
^ lift of e nf ojL'iEied chastity, \ihicji, after sdl.
Qrtngs hittt no iiearer holiness'.

'In Vaikuntha^' perhaps' ^WP after he is.
dead. ' RidS, the leather Ducket which brings-
oiiil qI a weli.

1 PavlMips pm^Ora sb^kitd be taken, mare
•osiaMtl^r, 8oiel]P of tb#'«&rii«»«f Pandhari and
it» 93a x9 i m afSaifg%>.

4 Read tnita for nitqi^ , .

867i 3 Or, ' you may learn* topk qq«i^qpl the dentin *^

MM T^ /i^4ni0i ift <ibf«:leAagains|.thos« ^a

will not be satisfied yfith dgy^^tion^ wh^^J^
acQurse e^ilyop^n. to tb^m, hjit persist in
carrying on theptogtcsj' (|l^ut)^|ons till the»
Spirit of reirg;io.a d(sapf)ear§. T^ey are com-
pared to a man who ever chums milk, etc.

3 The Mangs are a low caste, formerly em-
ployed as executieaem, %fle7 ' •

••? •'Divine grains^,,*' rpc^' Mid wlieat. Tliis;
' mMangat describes the jj^yjytw^.

W08 This described the Btragi.

870^ This describes the Kampha^a

-M0r : The iliffianigfa^

8707

NOTES 345

Abhanga. Line.

8715 3 Some beggars lead about a sacred buU»
which is taught a few tricks and earns a few
coppers.

8718 Some rustic is reviling a preacher and regret-

ting the time he has stopped his work to listen
to him.

Various phrases, etc., used by TukS.

The Baudhya Incarnation. This refers to
Buddha. The popular view recognizes so
much of the Buddhist system as to understand
that the Buddha retired to Nirvana and gives
no' direct answers to men. Consequently it
looks on him a sort of heartless God. more or
less appropriate to the Kali age.

The Kqli Age. The word has no connecttom
either with Kali (the consort of Shiva) or with
Kala, Time. It means 'confusion', and is
applied to the present age of the world's
history, from which all distinctions and sense
of propriety in conduct have vanished.

INDEX

Showing the correspondence between the numbers
in this edition and tho^ In the'lndu-Prakash
edition of 1869. English No. 2649.in the trans-
lation Is No. 3177 In the Indu-Prakash edition.
The Marathi No. 2649 will be found In the Index
to the preceding volume to be No. 2116 In the
> English translation.

English

Marathi T^g

Ush

Maratb

2649

3177

2673

3156

2650

4185

2674

3164

2651

4186

2675

3242

2652

4452

2676

3654

2653

3134

•2677

3665

2654

3137

2678

3897

2655

3201

2679

3075

2656

3328

2680

3157

2657

3358

2681

3161

2658

3446

2682

3162

2659

3465

2683

3181

2660

3595

2684

3230

2661

3626

2685

3278

2662

3648

2686

3295

2663

3690

2687

3596

2664

3726

2688

3591

2665

3737

2689

3593

2666

3782

2690

3854

2667

3823

2691

4503

2668

3875

2692

4176

2669

3889

2693

4280

2670

4024

2694

3105

2671

4084

2695

3260

26y2

4421 '

2696

3628

346

English

INDEX

Marathi English

Marath

2697

3661

2738

3513

2698

4116

2739

3714

2740

3170

2700

5J66.

2741

3172

2701

3203^

2742

3205

2702

3232

2743

3028

270^

324ft

2744-

2704

3^m

2745

33^

2705

3?93

?746

4'411

3706'

3298

2747

3680

210^

3Mt

274&.

J«S8-

2709,

27^' '

Jir99

2709

3307

275Q

3764

2710

330^

2751

3847

2711

3309

2rS2

390r

2712

3310

2753

4158.

2713

3aiii

2754

4311:

a7M

3314

27^

4324

27X5

3315

2756

332r

2716

3373

^757

3341

2717

3390

275«

3342-

2718

3395

2759

3405

2719

3438

2760

3423

272fi

3445

2761

3466-

2721

3495

2762

3516

2722

3556

2763

3579

2723

3599

2764

4228

2724

4073

2765

3986

2725

4099

2766

4030-

2726

4224

2767

4051

2727

4266

2768

4092

2728

4433

2769

4408

2729

4483

2770

3276

2750

4291

2771

3286.

2731

4397

27^2

3420

2732

4454

2773

3536^

2733

3238

2774

3612

2734

3330

2775

3625

2735

3401

2776

3666.

2736

3467

2777

3712

273.7

3470

2778

379&

|f^i»||it|^

23«

3880

27ao

3967

2781

4023

Zf8Z

4248

29rs3

4352

27»

4353

a785

4470

2786

3932

^87

3947

21788

4087

2f^a0

4091

2790

4138

2791

4313

2792

4465

2793

4272

zjm

4146

2795

4148

2396

4150

2397

4188

2798

3005

2399

3006

280)

3007

28m

3008

2802

3009

28a^

3010

2804

3011

28flS

3012

2805

3013

2807

3021

2808

3053

2809

3088

aaio

3102

2W1

3103

2812

3359

2813

4361

28^4

3074

28X5

3175

mte

3751

:wi7

3750

2<il8

3768

28X9

3816

2820

3841

28^1

3864

2822

3878

2823

3881

2824

4065

2825

4068

2826

4094

2827

4109:

2828

4118:

2829

4251

2890

4305

2831

4355

28^

4372-

2833

4395

2834

433r

2835

4354

2836

4393

2857

4502-

2958

338a

2830

3436^

2840

3614

2841

4033

2842

3123

2843

3284

2844

3519

2845

3656.

2846

3948^

2847

3983

2848

4076-

2849

4366>

2850

4396

2851

3068

2832

3136

2853

3213

2854

3222

2855

3500-

2856

3501

2857

3503

2858

3517

2859

3539^

28^

355r

-548 INDEX

English

M^rathi Ehglisfa

Maratb

2861

3659

2903

4090

2862

3747

2904

4132

2863

3793

2905

3106

2865

4262

2906

3193

2866

4325

2907

3344

2867

4328

2908

3372

2868

4329

2909

3412

2869

3998

2910

3636

2870

4402

2911

3640

2871

3143

2912

3688

2872

3523

2913

3834

2873

3598

2914

3893

2874

3601

2915

4000

2875

3819

2916

4002

2876

4093

2917

4007

2877

4365

• 2918

4064

2878

3168

2919

4319

2879

3185

2920

3891

2880

3219

2921

4341

2881

3229

2922

3060

2882

3231

2923

3218

2883

3658

2924

3296

2884

4177

2925

3266

2885

4187

2926

3355

2886

4481

2927

3425

2887

3280

2928

3639

2888

3735

2929

3682

2889

3892

2930

3704

2890

4156

2931

3732

2891

4432

2932

3976

2892

3085

2933

4011

2893

3087

2934

4128

2894

3091

2935

4179

2895

3092

2936

4363

2896

3093

2937

3^40

2897

3206

2938

3388

2898

3046

2939

3444

2899

3414

2940

3522

2900

3551

2941

3533

2901

4047

2942

3576

2902

4086

2943

3916

INDEX 349

English Marathi English Maratbl

^44

3259

2985

3592

2945

3499

2986

3667

2946

3788

2987

3681

2947

3803

2988

3715

2948

3928

2989

3758

2949

4292

2990

3757

2950

3125

2991

3809

2951

3139

2992

385a

2952

3439

2993

3885

2953

3529

2994

4042

2954

3535

2995

4226.

2955

3546

2996

4281

2956

3657

2997

4301

2957

3673

2998

4304

2958

3696

2999

4501

2959

3825

"■ .

3000

4008

2960

3240

3001

4442

2961

3247

3002

3130>

2962

3512

3003

3299

2963

3527

•-

3004

3316

2964

3623

2798

3005

3329

2965

3694

2799

3006

3377

2966

3814

2800

3007

3448

2967

3540

2801

3008

3525

2968

3796

2802

3009

3543.

2969

' 3797

2803

3010

3559

2970

3824

2804

3011

3560

2971

3204

2805

3012

3563

2972

3701

2806.

3013

3565

2973

3914

3014

3580

2974

4123

.3015

3618

2975

4362

3016

3653-

2976

4054

3037

3671

2977

4478

3018

3672

2978

4494

3019

3703

2979

3277

3020

3727

2980

■■ 3282

2807

3021

3736-

2981

3406

3022

3740

2982

3509

3023

3773

2983

3545

3024

3787

2984

3550

.3025

3827

360 IK0KX

3026

3836

3995

3067

3597

3027

3627

3068

3600

2743

3028

3945

5629

3069

3608

3029

3951

360O

3070

3613

3030

4004

3383

3071

3615

3031

405^

3688

3072

3619

3032

4069

3620

3073

3622

3033

4108

2814

3074

3644

3546

3034

3987

2eJ9

3075

3645

3035

4010

3JGD7

3076

3650

3036

3116

3S53

3077

3660

3037

3117

3078

3662

.jm2

3038

3119

3191

3079

3663

3362

3039

3126

3*54

3080

3664

2M7

3040

3158

3^i

3061

3668

3041

3159

Z5S6

3082

3669

3CH2

3194

3678

3083

3683

3043

3195

3355

3064

3691

3361

3044

3198

2892

3085

3692

3045

3262

3066

3702

2898

3046

3300

:a93

3087

3728

3187

3047

3321

2809

3088

3755

3229

3048

3334

3089

3759

3352

3049

3362

3090

3769

3188

3050

3378

2894

3091

3783

3353

3051

3394

2895

3092

3789

3244

3(»2

3403

2896

3093

3807

2808

3053

3433

3094

3808

3354

3054

3471

3095

3831

3189

3055

3497

2905

3096

3844

3119

5056

3507

3097

3849

3190

3057

3526

3098

3871

3674

3058

3534

3099

3876

3059

3537

3100

3895

2922

3060

3562

3101

3900

3605

3061

3564

2810

3102

3943

3006

3062

3S72

2811

3103

4159

3619

3063

3574

3S96

3104

4169

.3689

3064

3578

3694

3105

4170

3065

3586

2905

3106

4190

3628

3066

3596

3107

4194

WMx 351

M^iiihi

Ciigiish

Marathi

3it>8

4369

34S4

3149

3575

3!^0

31t)9

4439

3500

3150

3589

3280

3110

4471

3231

3151

3605

51120

3111

3999

3123

3152

3506

31^2

3112

4347

3124

3153

3807

3630

3113

4418

3125

3154

3616

8498

3114

4444

3423

3155

3617

3121

3115

4455

2673

3156

3633

3036

3116

3322

2680

3157

3695

3t»7

3117

3325

3040

3158

3720

3118

.3326

3041

3159

3731

3038

3119

3056

31«2

3160

3760

-3356

3120

3111

^81

3161

,3762

3377

3121

3115

2682

3162

3763

3433

3122

3144

3126

3163

3755

^842

3123

31:52

2674

3164

3766

3193

3124

3133

3246

3165

3757

2950

3125

3154

2700

3166

3770

3039

3126

3163

3247

3167

3777

3127

3217

2«f78

3168

3784

-3194

3128

3239

3485

3169

3785

3357

3129

3246

2740

3170

3790

3002

3130

3251

3171

3829

3378

3131

3335

2741

3172

3837

3384

3132

3354

3631

3173

3863

3474

3133

3370

3632

3174

3882

2653

3134

3371

2815

3175

3896

3330

3135

33t9

• 3424

3176

3922

2852

3136

3391

2649

3177

4184

2654

3137

3417

3590

3178

4227

3531

3138

3419

3358

3179

4283

2^1

3139

3434

3382

3180

4290

3140

3435

2683

3181

4332

3141

3440

3597

3182

4370

3281

3142

3441

3501

3183 .

4480

^r87i

3143

3436

3633

3184

4381

3122

3144

3520

2879

3185

4404

•

3145

3524

3359

3186

3324

3245

3146

3530

3232

3187

3047

3340

3147

3531

3195

3188

3050

3499

3148

3570

3359

3189

3055

352 IND£X

English

Marathi

English

MaraUhi

3347

3190

3057

2882

3231

315l"

'3495

3191

3079

2702

3232

3187

3375

3192

3112

3504

3233

3257

2906

3193

3124

3198

3234

3431

3042

3194

3128

. 3263

3235

3571

3043

3195

3188

3236

3611

3439

3196

3210

3237

3718

3634

3197

3225

2733

3238

3719

3044

3198

3234

3128

3239

3804

3502

3199

3265

2960

3240

3975

3503

3200

3302

3241

4072

2655

3201

3351

2675

3242

4225

3202

3352

3243

4306

. 2701

32:03

3357

3425

3244

3052

2971

3204

3430

3245

3146

2742

3205

3514

3129

3246

3165

2897

3206

3547

2961

3247

3167

3690

3207

3582

3248

3327

3208

3630

2703

3249

3337

3328

3209

3676

2744

3250

3345

3196

3210

3713

3130

3251

3346

3691

3211

3792

3345

3252

3376

3212

3801

3386

3253

3397

' 2853

3213

3832

3254

3418

3214

3913

3387

3255

3428

3215

3924

3505

3256

3505

3341

3216

3954

3233

3257

3554

3127

3217

3968

3329

, 3258

3585

2923

3218

3981

2944

3259

3743

2880

3219

4088

26^5

3260

3810

3360

3220

4111

3506

3261

4041

3348

3221

41^5

3045

3262

4078

2854

3222

4174

3383^:

3263

4082

3440

3223

4265

3434

3264

4157

3441

3224

4293

3199

3265

4250

3197

3225

4302

2925

3266

4269

3385

3226

4326

3388

3267

4495

3227

. 4491

3268

3699

3228

4173

3269

3721

2681

3229

3048

3507

3270

3776

2684

3230

3109

3608

. 3271

3817

INDEX 353

BgUsh

Marathi

English

1
J

Maratli

3272

3965

2713

3313

3912

3490

3273

3982

2714

3314

3917

3426

3274

4050

2715

3315

3930

5359a

3275

4318

3004

3316

3942

2770

3276

4498

3284

3317

3950

2979

3277

4022

3285

3318

3960

2685

3278

4203

3319

3962

3609

3279

4394

3320

3979

2887

3280

3110

3047

3321

4285

3498a

3281

3142

3116

3322

4407

2980

3282

3160

3323

3953

3443

3283

3235

3186

3324

4038

2843

3284

3317

3117

3325

4264

3444

3285

3318

3118

3326

4399

2771

3286

3338

2756

3327

3208

3445

3287

3426

2656

3328

3209

2704

3288

3432

3005

3329

3258

3508

3289

3473

2734

3330

3135

3290

3528

3393

3331

3453

3291

3532

3558

3332

3493

3389

3292

3542

3363

3333

3494

2705

3293

3544

3048

3334

3972

3509

3294

3594

3131

3335

4100

2686

3295

3604

3394

3336

4102

2924

3296

3620

3249

3337

4154

3390

3297

3629

3286

3338

4261

2706

3298

3674

3427

3339

4314

3003

3299

3695

3428

3340

3147

3046

3300

3684

2757

3341

3216

2707

3301

3693

2758

3342

3492

3200

3302

3697

3486

3343

3791

3391

3303

3698

2907

3344

3883

3510

3304

3706

3250

3345

3252

3305

3707

3251

3346

3392

2708

3306

3756

3347

3190

2709

3307

3778 •

3348

3221

2710

3308

3780

3349

3374

2711

3309

3781

3350

3818

2712

3310

3903

3201

3351 ,

4103

3311

3908

3202

3352

3049

3392

3312

3910

3352a

3452

354 INDEX

- T

':*-"-i'vjfiyi

nglish

Marathi

English

Marathi

33526

4246

2717

3390

3297

3364

3353

3051

3136

3391

3303

3132

3354

3054

3346

3392

3312

2926

3355

3084

3637

3393

3331

3511

3356

3120

3051

3394

3336

3203

3357

3129

2718

3395

3366

2657

3358

3179

3475

3396

3375

2812

3359

3186

3253

3397

3408

3359a

3275

3560

3398

3424

2745

3360

3220

3561

3399

3474

3361

3044

3638

3400

3553

3(H9

3362

3039

2735

3401

3624

3635

3363

3333

3365

3402

3634

3601

3364

3353

3052

3403

3635

3359

3365

3402

3404

3638

3395

3366

3416

2759

3405

3647

3367

3502

2981

3406

3678

3368

3504

3407

3686

3512

3369

3848

3397

3408

3722

3133

3370

3874

3476

3409

3734

3134

3371

3994

3446

3410

3745

2908

3372

4077

2746

3411

3867

2716

3373

4101

2909

3412

3923

3349

3374

4336

3413

3993

3396

3375

3192

2899

34U

4034

3252

3376

4473

3513

3415

4037

3006

3377

3121

3366

3416

4075

3050

3378

3131

3137

3417

4140

3135

. 3379

3460

3254

3418

4166

2838

3380

3853

3138

3419

4245

3662

3381

4351

2772

3420

4260

3675

3382

3180

3639

3421

4371

3636

3383

3071

3514

3422

4451

3383a

3263

2760

3423

3155

33836

3961

3398

3424

3176

3384

3132

2927

3425

3244

3385

3226

3287

3426

3274

3386

3253

3427

3339

3387

3255

3428

3340

2938

3388

3267

3515

3429

3489

3487

3389

3292

3204

3430

3498

INDEX 355

]^glish

Marathi

English

Marath

3234

3431

3717

3472

4303

3288

3432

4419

3289

3473

4453

3053

3433

3122

3399

34-74

3133

3139

3434

3264

3475

3396

3140

3435

3685

3476

3409

2839

3436

3711

3476«

3820

3437

3868

3477

3742

^719

3438

4267

3478

3859

5952

3439

3196

3479

3909

3141

3440

3223

3480

3949

3142

3441

3224

3481

4133

3516

3442

1 '_ ..

.3482

4254

3443

3283

■* • ' r

3483

4468

2939

3444

32«5

3484

3149

2720

3445

3287

» ' . ' . ' .

3485

3169

v2658

3446

3410

3486

3343

3447

3496

34^7

3389

^3007

3448

3515

3488

3450

3517

3449

3518

3429

3489

3451

3488

3450

3538

-3640

3490

3273

3489

3451

3687

3693

3491

3655

3352a

3452

3700

3342

3492

3919

3331

3453

3705

3332

3493

4081

3454

3708

3333

3494

4107

3562

3455

3716

2721

3495

3191

3143

3456

3733

3447

3496

4172

•

3457

3811

3055

3497

4477

3458

3835

3430

3498

3114

3518

3459

38^3

3498a

3281

3379

3460

3884

2945

3499

3148

3519

3461

3929

2855

3500

3150

3462

3941

2856

3501

3183

3520

3463

4021-

3367

3502

3199

3464

4029

2857

3503

3200

2659

3465

4097

3368

3504

3^33

'2761

3466

4104

3256

3505

3256

2736

3467

4131

3506

3261

3468

4183

3056

3507

3270

•

3469

4212

3508

3289

2737

3470

4322

2982

3509

3294

- 3054

3471

4327

3563

3510

3304

356 INDEX,

English

Maratfai

English

Marathi

3511

3356

3694

3552

4323

2962

3512

3369

3400

3553

3077

2738

3513

3415

3257

3554

3080

32Q5

3514

3422

3421

3555

3081

3448

3515

3429

2722

3556

3082

2762

3516

3442

3557

4136

2858

3517

3449

3558

3332

3449

3518

3459

3010

3559

3365

2844

3519

3461

3011

3560

3398

3144

3520

31463

3565

3561

3399

3521

3555

3060

3562

3455

2940

3522

3651

3012

3563

3510

2872

3523

3679

3061

3564

3541

3145

3524

3710

3013

3565

3561

3008

3525

3744

3695

3566

3569

3057

3526

3775

3567

3610

2963

3527

3813

3568

3621

3290

3528

3815

3566

3569

3729

2953

3529

3833

3148

3570

3774

3146

3530

3888

3235

3571

3794

3531

3138

3062

3572

3799

3291

3532

3997

3573

3802

2941

3533

4018

30.63

3574

3805

3058

3534

4019

3149

3575

3843

2954

3535

4046

2942

3576

3956

2773

3536

4053

3577

3958

3059

3537

4216

3064

3578

3959

3450

3538

4358

2763

3579

3969

2859

3539

4499

3014

3580

4058

2967

3540

4485

3696

3581

4277

3564

3541

3978

3267

3582

4279

3292

3542

4143

3547

3583

4026

3009

3543

4145

3584

4043

3293

3544

4349

3258

3585

4124

2983

3545

4474

3065

3586

4142

2955

3546

3034

3587

4425

3206

3547

3583

3588

4312

3548

3920

3150

3589

4450

3549

3921

2687

3590

3178

2984

3550

3931

2688

3591

4189

2900

3551

4031

3592a

4256a

INDEX 357

fillgliih

Marathi

£agli»h

Maratli

2dS5

3592

4256

3156

3633

3184

2689

3593

4259

3402

3634

3197

I2d4

3594

4191

3403

3635

3363

2660

3595

3067

2910

3636

3383

1066

3596

3104

3637

3393

5067

3597

3182

3404

3638

3400

2873

3598

4218

2928

3639

3421

2723

3599

4222

2911

3640

3490

3068

3600

3070

3641

3709

2874

«601

3364

3642

3822

3621

3602

3771

3643

3879

3622

3603

3772

3074

3644

3886

3295

3604

3786

3075

3645

3977

3151

3605

3071

3663

3646

4035

3152

3606

3062

3405

3647

4049

3153

3607

3076

2662

3648

4059

3069

3608

3271

3679

3649

4243

3697

3609

3279

3076

3650

4244

3567

3610

3752

3522

3651

4252

3236

3611

3869

3652

4253

2774

3612

3906

3016

3653

4257

3070

3613

3996

2676

3654

4258

2840

3614

4044

3491

3655

4346

3071

3615

4163

2845

3656

4208

3154

3616

4209

2956

3657

4219

3155

3617

4294

2883

3658

4221

3015

3618

4321

2861

3659

4360

3072

3619

3063

3077

3660

4377

3296

3620

3073

2697

3661

4476

3568

3621

3602

3078

3662

3381

3073

3622

3603

•3079

3663

3646

2964

3623

3812

3080

3664

3749

3401

3624

4375

2677

3665

3748

2775

3625

3957

2776

3666

3821

2661

3626

4391

2986

3667

3862

3027

3627

4392

3081

3668

3872

2696

3628

3066

3082

3669

3890

3297

3629

3069

3670

3894

3208

3630

3113

3017

3671

4005

3631

3173

3018

3672

4286

3632

3174

2957

3673

4287

358

INDEX

English

Marathi

English

Marathi

3298

3674

3058

2988

3715

,4273

3299

3675

3382

3455

3716

4274

3209

3676

3865

3431

3717

4113

3698

3677

4479

3237

3718

4121

3406

3678

3083

3238

3719

4205

3523

3679

3649

3158

3720

4409

2747

3680

3857

3269

3721

4466

2987

3681

3860

3408

3722

2929

3682

4039

2664

3726

3083

3683

3964

3020

3737

3300

3684

4270

3087

3728

3435

3685

4340

3569

3729

3407

3686

4390

3730

3451

3687

4462

3159

3731

2912

3688

3072

2931

3732

3689

3064

5456

3733

2663

3690

32Q7

3409

3734

3084

3691

3211

2888

3735

3085

3692

3038

3021

3736

3301

3693

3491

2665

3737

2965

3694

3552

2748

3738

3157

3695

3566

274f

3739

2958

3696

3581

3022

3740

3302

3697

3609

3477

3742

3303

3698

3677

3259

3743

3268

3699

3795

3525

3744

3452

3700

3870

3410

3745

2972

3701

3887

3746

3086

3702

3933

2862

3747

3019

3703

3934

3665

3748

2930

3704

3935

3664

3749

3453

3705

393.6

2817

3750

3304

3706

3937

2816

3751

3305

3707

3938

3610

3752

3454

3708

3939

3088

3755

3641

3709

3940

3306

3756

3524

3710

3970

3436

3711

4032

•

2777

3712

4060

3210

3713

4105

2990

3757

2739

3714

4171

2989

3758

INDEX 359

English

Maratlii English

MarsL

3089

3759

2947

3803

3160

3760

3239

3804

3161

3762

3574

3805

3162

3763

3806

2750

3764

3093

3807

3163

3765

3094

3808

3164

3766

2991

3809

3165

3767

3260

3810

2818

3768

3457

3811

3090

5769

3623

3812

3166

3770

3527

3813

3602

3771

2966

3814

3603

3772

3528

3815

3023

3773

2819

3816

3570

3774

3271

3817

3526

3775

3350

3818

3270

3776

2875

3819

3167

3777

3476a

3820

3307

3778

3666

3821

3308

3780

3642

3822

3309

3781

2667

3823

2666

3782

2970

3824

3091

3783

2959

3825

3168

3784

3025

3827

3169

3785

3171

3829

3604

3786

3095

3831

3024

3787

3213

3832

2946

3788

3529

3833

3092

3789

2913

3834

3170

3790

3458

3835

3343

3791

3026

3836

3211

3792

3172

3837

2863

3793

2820

3841

3571

3794

3575

3843

3699

3795

3096

3844

2968

3796

2751

3847

2969

3797

3369

3848

2778

3798

3097

3849

3572

3799

3380

3853

3212

3801

2690

3854

3573

3802

3680

3857

360 INDEX

Marathi

English

Marathi Engli^

2992

3858

2752

3907

3478

3859

3311

3908

3681

3860

3479

3909

3667

3862

3312

3910

3173

3863

3313

3912

2821

3864

3214

3913

3676

3865

2973

3914

3411

3867

3915

3437

3868

2943

3916

3611

3869

3314

3917

3700

3870

3918

3098

3871

3492

3919

3668

3872

3548

3920

3459

3873

3549

3921

3370

3874

3176

3922

2668

3875

3412

3923

3099

3876

3215

3924

2822

3878

2948

3928

3643

3879

3461

3929

2779

3880

3315

3930

2823

3881

3550

3931

3174

3882

2786

3932

3344

3883

3702

3933

3460

3884

3703

3934

2993

3885

3704

3935

3644

3886

3705

3936

3701

3887

3706

3937

3530

3888

3707

3938

2669

3889

3708

3939

3669

3890

3709

3940

2920

3891

3462

3941

2889

3892

3316

3942

2914

3893

3102

3943

3670

3894

3028

3945

3100

3895

2787

3947

3175

3896

2846

3948

2678

3897

3480

3949

3101

3900

3317

3950

3310

3903

3029

3951

3905

3323

3953

3612

3906

3216

3954

INDEX 361

Marathi

English

Marathi English

3576

3956

3277

4022

3625

3957

2781

4023

3577

3958

2670

4024

3578

3959

3583

4026

3318

3960

3464

4029

33836

3961

t766

4030

3319

3962

3551

4051

3883

3964

3711

4032

3272

3965

2841

4033

2780

3967

3414

4034

3217

3968

3646

4035

3579

3969

3415

4037

3710

3970

3524

4038

3334

3972

3682

4039

3240

3975

3261

4041

2932

3976

2994

4042

3645

3977

3584

4043

5541

3978

3614

4044

3320

5979

3535

4046

3218

3981

2901

4047

3273

3982

3647

4049

2847

3983

3274

4050

2765

3986

2767

4051

3034

3987

3031

4052

3413

3993

3536

4053

3371

3994

2976

4054

3613

3996

3580

4058

3532

3997

3648

4059

2869

3998

3712

4060

3111

3999

2918

4064

2915

4000

2824

4065

2916

4002

2825

4068

3030

4004

3032

4069

3671

4005

3241

4072

2917

4007

2724

4073

3000

4008

3416

4075

3035

4010

2848

4076

2933

4011

3372

4077

3533

4018

3262

4078

3534

4019

3493

4081

3463

4021

3263

4082

362 INDEX

Marathi

English

Marathi English

4083

2796

4150

2671

4084

3337

4154

2902

4086

2890

4156

2788

4087

3264

4157

3219

4088

2753

4158

2903

4090

3103

4159

2789

4091

3615

4163

2768

4092

3418

4166

2876

4093

3104

4169

28'26

4094

3105

4170

3465

4097

3714

4171

2725

4099

3496

4172

3335

4100

3228

4173

3373

4101

3122

4174

3336

4102

2692

4176

3351

4103

2884

4177

3466

4104

2935

4179

3713

4105

3468

4183

3494

4107

3177

4184

3033

4108

2650

4185

2827

4109

2651

4186

3220

4111

2885

4187

3717

4113

2797

4188

2698

4116

3591

4189

2828

4118

3106

4190

3718

4121

3594

4191

2974

4123

3107

4194

3585

4124

3278

4203

3121

4125

3719

4205

2934

4128

3656

4208

3467

4131

3616

4209

2904

4132

3469

4212

3481

4133

3537

4216

3557

4136

3598

4218

2790

4138

3657

4219

3417

4140

3658

4221

3586

4142

3599

4222

3542

4143

2726

4224

3543

4145

3242

4225

2794

4146

2995

4226

2795

4148

3178

4227

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